Blind Deals
by Moonlight Sonata Muse
Summary: RumBelle AU. What if Regina decided to play her wild card earlier? What would happen after Mr. Gold agrees to a deal without knowing all the details, to save the woman he loves? *Contains Finale Spoilers*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ok so this is my 2nd RumBelle FanFic, and I've decided to try my hand at a chapter story instead of a One Shot. I don't know how, but this idea came to me while waiting in line at a fast-food place and I sped home to start working on it before the idea left my brain. Plenty of fluff and adventure to follow. Hope you enjoy! Please Review!**

**Disclaimer: I am not Eddie Kitsis or Adam Horowitz. I am merely a humble fan of their work. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 1  
**

The day was grey and rainy as it always had been for the past twenty-eight years. Grey clouds of gloom that were so befitting for Storybrooke. The cold rain that pitter-pattered against the windowpane created a rhythmic sad song. Mr. Gold had opened shop a couple of hours ago, but as usual, people rarely came in. And this rain wasn't going to encourage them to venture out to this corner of town. Gold reveled in the solemn quiet. Especially, following this interesting week. After believing that his son was somehow still alive only to find out it was none other than that little troublemaking puppet Pinocchio, Gold had not been in the best of moods. Not that he was normal in any chipper mood, but he was bitterer and more sour that usual. Sitting in the back room he contemplated all the things that might happen if that little puppet and Henry, the little princeling, could convince the sheriff into believing the curse. What would he do once everyone remembered and the Queen was vanquished? He didn't hinder himself with worry; he always had a back door to every deal, curse, and contract.

He ran various scenarios through his head while he polished a three-pronged golden candelabra. He was just about to finish, when the bell to his shop rang. Gold looked up to see the dark figure of August W. Booth walking to the back of the shop. He could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"I take it the Sheriff Swan did not believe you." Gold smirked as he continued his work.

"How do I make her see?" August demanded. "You made this curse, tell me how to show her the truth."

"So the truth is it?" Gold asked as he placed the candelabra down, after replacing the three white candlesticks. "For someone who's so keen on revealing the truth, you've been doing an awful lot of lying."

"I tried to tell her! I even tried to show her, but she refuses to believe to the point that she can't see what's right in front of her!" August shouted.

"That's not my problem, Dearie." Gold rose to his feet, ignoring the pain in his leg.

"Sooner or later, it will be." August glared. "Good will win, and where will that leave you?"

"That's the advantage of being an opportunist, either way suits me fine." He said with a dark voice. "Now, if you will, get out of my shop." Gold walked August to the door and locked it behind him, turning the sign to closed. Despite the fact that he had only been open for a few hours, it was his shop and he could close whenever he bloody well pleased.

Once back in his workroom, Gold began polishing other knickknacks. A silver hand mirror, the brass rims on an old clock, and other assorted souvenirs he had brought here from his world. As he was putting the finishing touches on one such object, the phone rang.

His leg protested to his movement as he stood and made his way to the counter, where the phone rested. This was a rarity in itself. No one ever called him.

"This is Gold," he said into the receiver. But upon hearing the voice of the caller, his mouth twitched. "Ah, Regina, I didn't expect to be hearing from you again for a while." He grinned into the receiver.

"Indeed," she said. He could hear the distain in her voice.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"I want to make another deal." She said sternly. "And no loopholes this time."

"Ah, but every contract has a loophole, Dearie." He scoffed. "That's just kind of how it goes."

"Oh, you'll find a way to see to it that there aren't any." She hissed.

"And what makes you think that?"

"Oh, you'll see," came Regina's voice from the phone. Gold did not like the sound of her boldness.

"What kind of deal is this?"

"It seems that a certain sheriff keeps coming to you for help." She said in her regal voice.

"If you are referring to Sheriff Swan asking for my legal help regarding the custody battle for Henry, I've already told her 'no'." Gold said, becoming slightly agitated.

"I know, I want you to tell her that you changed your mind."

"Why would I do that?" Gold raised his brow.

"Because you're going to see to it that she loses. And well, there's more, but we'll discuss that later."

"I'm not one to agree to blind deals."

"I think you'll agree that my price is fair. I have something you want." She said simply.

"And what, Madame Mayor, could you possibly have that I would want?" There was a beat of silence and then the sound of the phone being handed off to someone else. Regina's voice came again, but further away.

"Go ahead, dear, say 'hello'." She instructed almost too nicely. Gold could hear a woman's shallow breathing on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Came a voice. His heart stopped. Gold felt the blood drain from his face and a cold sweat breakout on the back of his neck.

"Belle?" There was silence. "Belle?" He cried again into the phone, but the Queen had already taken it away from her.

"Not what you were expecting?" She relished in the pain she knew he was feeling. And of course, the one woman he ever cared for, loved, thought to be dead had just spoken to him on the phone. His thoughts were swirling together as he began to comprehend what was going on. "So now that I have your attention…"

"Let her go you filthy, wicked, evil hag!" Rumplestiltskin spat into the phone.

"Now, now, no need for name calling, Rumple. I'll let her go, if you do what I asked." Regina laughed. The knuckles of the pawnbroker were beginning to turn white as he gripped his cane.

"Let me see her." He demanded.

"I'm looking for one little word, and I let you pick her up yourself. Alive and well." She told him. Gold thought about the price and the consequences of entering a blind deal with the Evil Queen. There was no way of knowing what she was going to ask him to do in addition to causing Emma to lose Henry. But this was Belle hanging in the balance, and he was not about to lose her again.

"Deal."

.

.

.

.

.

**So... what did you think? Let me know! I'm dying for feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so thankful for all the reviews and story alerts I've received for this story! You guys have no idea how much it means, really! I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as the last! **

**Chapter 2**

The rain had picked up as Gold drove through the streets. His teeth ground together as he wove through the streets of the little sleepy town like a mad man on a mission, which in truth, he was. His heart was racing while his brain was trying to catch up with the pace.

_Belle, alive? His Belle was alive?_ The unanswered questions ran through his mind. But he heard her voice, that gently, kind, beautiful voice. She was alive, by some strange twisted miracle she was alive. While half of his brain was wrapped up in the overwhelming glimmer of hope, the other half contemplated darker things.

All of these years, the Queen had been lying. Making him believe Belle was dead. He hated himself for not seeing through her deceit. His Belle was brave and strong, she never would have thrown her life away. He was a fool. Oh, the Queen would pay. She would pay dearly for her deeds. But that would have to wait, right now; Belle was his number one priority.

Then he realized, with disheartened anxiety, the curse. Would she even remember him?

_Of course, not. How could she?_ Nevertheless, he was going to rescue her from Regina's clutches whether she knew him or not. Any life, even one filled with false memories and no magic or happily-ever-afters, was better than what she had been living for the past twenty-eight years. He would have to see her before he worried about where she would live. In a perfect world, she would never leave his home, but he knew better than to expect the best-case scenario.

His tires squealed to a stop just outside of Storybrooke's one and only hospital. Ignoring the rain and the cold weather's effect on his already aching leg, Mr. Gold marched into the hospital doors only to terrify the woman at the desk with his sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Dr. Whale," he hissed at her. She blinked in a stupor. "Now!"

She jumped up from her seat and hurried away to fetch the "good" doctor. Gold skulked behind her, too impatient to wait at the empty desk. His eyes searched for any hint of his Belle among the visible patients in the rooms he passed. She was nowhere to be found.

"Mr. Gold?"

Gold looked up to see Dr. Whale approaching. The woman from the desk hurried away back to her post. The two men stood in the hallway, one almost drenched from the rain and looking positively disheveled.

"Are you alright?" asked Whale.

"Where is she?" Gold spat.

"Who?" he asked so innocently.

"Regina." Gold had to refrain form strangling the doctor for his incompetence.

"Oh, I'm afraid I haven't seen Mayor Mills since…"

"I know she's here! And you are going to take me to her and that little ward you've been so secretive about!" His tone was venomous and his glare could have put Medusa to shame. Dr. Whale stepped away in fear, but quickly composed himself.

"I understand, well, uh, follow me." He led Gold down a deserted corridor and towards a door marked as an exit. He pressed some code into a console on the wall, and as the light turned green, he opened the door. He followed Whale down a flight of stairs and then they rounded a corner to be met by another nurse at a desk and the dark woman, herself.

"I was wondering when you would get here." She smiled. Gold bared his teeth, but forced himself to remain calm.

"It seems the good doctor here was convinced you were not here." He said. "But now that I'm here, and we have business to conduct."

"Indeed we do," she smirked. "Dr. Whale, if you would sign the release papers for Margaret French. It seems she is no longer in the need of institutionalization."

"Margie? But, I…"

"Yes, it would appear that she is no longer a threat to herself and therefore must be released." She told Whale. "Stella has the papers ready for your signature."

The nurse handed him a clipboard and pen. The doctor looked confused by this.

"Wait, what about her father, doesn't he have to sign?" He rambled.

"When Ms. French was admitted she was a minor, she has since then passed the age of consent and therefore, can be released without her father's consent." Regina explained. "Now, just sign the damn papers."

Rumplestiltskin could do nothing but listen to this exchange in agony as precious minutes passed. He and Regina had never averted their gaze away from the other as the doctor signed. It took all of his strength not to beat her to the ground with his cane.

"And why is Mr. Gold here?" he asked as he handed the clipboard back to the nurse.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Gold hissed. Regina smirked again at his visible agitation.

"Mr. Gold is here to make sure that Ms. French's rights and care here have not been neglected, and to offer her any legal counsel she would like." Dr. Whale looked puzzled. "It would appear that Ms. French has been stable for quite sometime, now, and has not been dealt with properly for the best of the patient."

"But, I…" Dr. Whale stuttered, but Regina raised a hand to silence him.

"I'm sure it was not intentional, Dr. Whale, but nevertheless we must think about what is best for Ms. French. Isn't that right, Mr. Gold?"

"Indeed. Now, if we are done talking, I believe there is a young woman ready to be released."

Whale led the way down the hallway and stopped in front of one of many doors. He lifted a flap to peer inside through a little window. He dug out a string of keys form his pocket and unlocked the door. Rumplestiltskin's heart pounded so hard that he was sure the queen could hear it. He took a deep breath as the door slowly opened to a dark room.

"Margie," called Dr. Whale into the darkness, "you're free to go."

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: I can't stand Regina, but she is so fun to write! Oh, she can really get under your skin! So, what did you guys think about chapter 2? Tell me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: You guys make me smile! I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so far :)**

**Chapter 3**

There was the faintest sound of movement from a corner of the room. Rumplestiltskin held his breath, but tried to appear composed in front of the queen. The sound of barefoot steps echoed against the walls at a slow and unsure pace. Gold's heart skipped a beat as his Belle stepped into the light and blinked at the brightness of the hall. Her brunette locks messily fell about her face, which was pale. Her whole body looked frail and fragile under the hospital gown.

"I'm free?" She asked in soft disbelief as she looked to Dr. Whale. He offered a hand, but she retracted away from him. He cleared his throat and withdrew his hand. Gold clenched his hand into a fist at the sight of her fear of the doctor.

"I'll have a nurse bring you some clothes. Mayor Mills? If I may have a word." Dr. Whale said as he started back down the hall.

"I'll be right there," Regina said before looking back at Rumplestiltskin. "I've held up my end of the bargain, let's see if you can do the same."

"You have my word."

"Whatever that's worth." Regina scoffed. "I'll call you tomorrow to discuss more of the details."

She turned and followed the doctor down the hall. Gold looked back to Belle. She was leaning against the doorframe of her cell, eyes on him.

"Why are you all wet?" she asked somewhat lightheartedly. She always was inquisitive.

"Uh, well it was raining when I walked in."

"You could catch cold, you know, from staying out in the rain too long." She told him.

"I think I'll take my chances." He smirked. He could not believe after all this time apart, they were talking about him getting a cold. She gave a small smile, but there was no light in her eyes.

"They won't be troubling you anymore." His voice was hoarse, but he quickly cleared his throat as her eyes met his. "Dr. Whale or Regina."

"Who are you?" she asked gently with a raised brow. He realized that she was studying, searching his face for something she did not understand. His heart ached as she failed to put the pieces together.

"My name is Mr. Gold."

"No, it's," she said rubbing her temple. Rumplestiltskin held his breath, hoping that maybe she was remembering. "I meant, why are you here?"

"I'm here for what ever you need me for." He told her, hiding the disappointment in his voice. He was glad to see that she did not look at him like she did Regina or Dr. Whale. She was still studying him.

"Are you taking me to my father?" she asked. He caught the apprehension in her voice.

"If that's what you wish," he told her. Suddenly, he realized how awkward that reunion would be. Moe French's daughter being dropped off by the very man who nearly bludgeoned him to death. "It's entirely up to you."

"Can I get something to eat first?" she asked innocently. She looked at him again and stepped completely out of the cell and into the hallway.

"Yes," He smiled at her. She mirrored him. "Anything in particular that your hungry for?"

"Anything that isn't from here." She chuckled.

"I think we can arrange that." He offered. She nodded as she leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Free," she sighed in disbelief. "Is this real?"

"Afraid so, Dearie." He smirked. At the sound of the last word, her eyes shot open and she stared at him blankly.

"What did you say?" She asked, but before Gold could answer, a nurse came up holding an armful of assorted clothes.

"See if any of these fit." She said blandly, handing them off to the girl.

Within ten minutes, Margaret French was changing into a pair of skinny jeans and a long-sleeved blue top that fit perfectly to go over a dark grey camisole. The galoshes were a little big, but they would do. It felt odd to be wearing real clothes and shoes after wearing the same hospital shifts for so long. She looked into the bathroom mirror and pulled her mangled hair into a ponytail before putting on the thick coat she was given. She peaked out the door to see Mr. Gold waiting by the entrance of the hospital. He seemed so familiar, like they knew each other, but she couldn't put her finger on it. For some reason, she knew she could trust him. With a deep breath, she walked out of the bathroom and up to where he was waiting for her.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"You have no idea," she said as he held the door open for her. The rain was pouring down and she heard Mr. Gold curse under his breath.

"I'm sorry, I forgot an umbrella." He said. "I'll go get it out of the car."

"Wait," she said, grabbing his arm. He looked at her in confusion as she held her hand out from the awning of the hospital. The rain droplets fell on her palm and fingers as a smile stretched across her face. "I haven't felt the rain for so long."

Gold continued to watch her as she slowly walked out into the rain shower. Despite the water's cold chill, she basked in it. He smirked as the water soak bits of her hair to her face.

"You're going to catch cold," he warned after a few more moments. She turned back to look at him with a devious smile.

"I think I'll take my chances," she laughed.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**Ah, a slight piece of fluff for you, but enjoy it while you can... He still agreed to a deal with Regina :P**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You guys are amazingly awesome. All of your reviews have been so great, just know that I kind of love you guys. And did you see "Apple Red as Blood"? *SPOILER* Poor Henry! Anyone else just want to strangle Regina? *END OF SPOILER* Anyways, here's chapter 4! Enjoy and review! :D**

**Chapter 4**

For most of the car ride, Gold's mind was consumed with one thought. This was too easy. There had to be some sort of catch. Regina must have something big planned if she was going to let him have Belle this effortlessly. There had to be more than just making sure that Emma loses Henry in a simple custody battle. She knew better than to kill Emma, if she wanted to keep her precious curse intact. He would have dwelled on this thought more had his attention not been brought back to the here-and-now.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they drove down the street. She looked out the window like an excited puppy at all of the people and places they passed by. She had asked about cars, the radio, and other various things she had not seen before.

"You said you wanted something to eat." Gold said. "Granny's is about the only place in town I dare go."

"Granny's?" she asked with a raise brow.

"It's the local diner." He glanced over to her. "I figured you might have some memory of it." It was odd that Belle's false memories didn't seem to flood her mind like everyone else under the curse. It was almost like there weren't any memories at all, just the cell.

"Honestly, it's all kind of a blur. Is that weird?" She asked bashfully. "I mean, I remember my father, but it's like he's not where he's supposed to be. And then the next thing I know, the woman in black, Regina, was telling him that I should be sent away 'for my own good.' And he just let them take me away. Does that make any sense to you?"

"I don't really know, Ms. French." He said as all the different ways to torture Regina flowed through his head.

"Please, you don't have to call me that." She said, bringing him out of his dark reverie.

"Would you rather I call you Margie?" He asked, glancing over to see her make a face.

"That's what Dr. Whale always called me." She scrunched her nose in disgust. Gold was determined to find out all that happened while Belle was under the care of Dr. Whale, and if one minuscule line was crossed, the dear doctor was going to rue the day he was born. Then for a split second, a vision of Dr. Whale and Regina both being tortured together danced around in his mind.

"Margaret, then?" He guessed, shoving the thought away for a later time. She thought about it for a moment.

"No, it never really suited me." She answered.

"My, my, my, what are we going to call you?" Gold smirked.

"I have a middle name, you know," she smiled.

"It isn't Verna, is it?" Gold asked, wondering if the Queen was brutal enough to give his Belle both of the names she had bestowed her in the old world.

"No!" she cried. "What cruel person names their kid Verna?" Rumplestiltskin smirked. "It's Annabelle."

"Margaret Annabelle French," he mused as he turned the car off. "Well, isn't that a mouthful."

"I know," she blushed. "I suppose Anna would do or Belle?"

"Anna is so ordinary," he said, "And you, my dear, are anything but ordinary." The young woman could not hide the rosy blush that covered her face. No one had ever said anything like that to her before.

"Belle it is," she announced with a smile that was so unsure and innocent she had to look away form Mr. Gold's gaze. Rumplestiltskin had to still himself from acting on the emotions that her face triggered.

"Well, now that we have decided on a suitable name, would you like to join me for lunch, Belle?" As her name left his lips, she turned to look at him. It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't remember how.

"I would like that very much." Gold gave a small smile as he got out of the car. The rain had stopped sometime between the hospital and the diner, but he didn't care. He walked over to the passenger side of his car and opened the door.

As they strolled up the steps of the diner, the door swung open and a small boy nearly knocked Belle down. Rumplestiltskin had reacted fast enough to catch her before she tumbled down the stairs. Henry looked up in surprise to see someone there.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said as he backed away. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's perfectly alright," she smiled. Mr. Gold helped her to balance, his hand lingered on the small of her back. "No harm done."

"You should try to be a little more careful, Henry," Mr. Gold said. Henry looked up the see the pawnbroker looming over him. The boy gave him a nervous smile.

"Will do, Mr. Gold," he said.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Gold asked the boy. Henry's face went pale.

"Please don't tell my mom," Henry begged. "She won't let me see Emma for another month if she finds out."

Mr. Gold thought for a split second as opportunity knocked.

"I think we can make some sort of a deal. Come by my shop later and we'll talk." Gold smirked. Henry gave him a confused, but understanding look.

"Ok," he answered unsure about what he had just gotten himself into, "I'll see if I can come by after school."

"Very good," Gold smiled. Henry ran down the rest of the stairs.

"Sorry again about knocking you over." He called back to Belle. Henry was halfway down the street when he realized that the woman that he had ran into and Gold had caught seemed vaguely familiar. He would have to consult with the book before he went to go see Mr. Gold.

"What a charming boy," Belle laughed as she and Mr. Gold entered the diner.

"Yes, charming," he repeated, though in his mind he was thinking of all the possible potential of making a deal with the little princeling. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," she assured him. "If it hadn't been me getting knocked over, I would have managed some way or another to trip and fall. Truth be told, I'm a little clumsy."

"You don't say?" They took a booth in the furthest most corner of the diner. It was well known to patrons as Gold's personal booth. It was a place where others wouldn't disturb them. Not that Granny's was packed, but just the cluttering sound of a few people talking was enough to be annoying for Gold.

He handed Belle a menu, and she excitedly flipped the one paneled menu, reading every word it contained. Still a book worm after all this time.

"See anything you might like?" He asked as Ruby came by to take their orders. True, she was a little shocked to see Mr. Gold with another person in his booth, let alone a beautiful young woman.

"I don't know, everything sounds better than what I've been eating for the last I-don't-know-how-many years." She told him, obviously overwhelmed by the numerous choices.

"Well, you heard her Ruby. One of everything, if you will, Dearie."

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: More fluffy fluff bunnies for you! I had to add Henry! I love that kid! He's so brave even when Emma isn't. But what kind of deal will he and Mr. Gold find themselves in?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello fellow Dearies! So I don't know about you, but this has bee the LONGEST week waiting for the season finale! I may die from anticipation! So to help ease the pain, I thought I would post another chapter (Despite the A/U). And so, here is a quick fix of some RumBelle & a bit of Henry (Mainly because I love that kid).**

**Chapter 5**

Henry sat at his desk while the other kids were off at recess. As always, Ms. Blanchard allowed him to stay indoors as she went out to watch the other children. And so, he sat at his desk with his book, flipping through the pages. Desperately, he searched for the woman who he had run into at Granny's. He wasn't having any luck. Hopefully, finding her would give some clue as to the identity of Mr. Gold.

_Sleeping Beauty? No. Princess and the Frog? Maybe, but then again maybe not. The Little Mermaid? No. Princess and the Pea? Possibly. Goldie Locks? No, her hair wasn't blonde. Thumbelina? No, nothing seemed to fit._

"Ugh! Give me a break!" Henry groaned in frustration. He had just given up hope when a gust of wind blew in from the open window and flipped the pages of his book. Henry looked around to see if anyone else might have saw. He looked down at his book to see the beginning chapter of another story. "Beauty and the Beast? Interesting."

Henry sat for the next half of recess reading the story of a brave young woman named, Belle. She gave up her freedom to save her village by making a deal to work for Rumplestiltskin. She fell in love with him despite his exterior and cruelty. He didn't want to give up his power for love and turned her out of his home. And when the queen told him of Belle's death, he realized how much he truly loved her. All the lights in Henry's head were lighting up. It all made perfect sense!

Mr. Gold always made deals with people just like Rumplestiltskin. And the Queen had promised him a life of comfort and luxury in this world. Mr. Gold practically owned the town, and lived in one of the nicest houses in town. But one thing seemed off. In the story, the queen had said that Belle was dead, so how did she end up here? Then again, it wouldn't be the first time the Evil Queen had lied. Henry found himself taking pity on Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold. All this time thinking that his true love was dead.

"Oh no," he said aloud as he was struck with a cold realization. If the queen had Belle in Fairytale Land, she would have her prisoner in this world too. And if she had her prisoner in this world, how did Mr. Gold get her back? He must have agreed to the mother of all deals for the queen to give up her biggest bargaining chip.

Henry closed the book and shoved it in his backpack. Jumping out of his desk and to the door, he ran into Ms. Blanchard. The other children flooded in behind her and flooded into the room oblivious to Henry's attempt to escape.

"Henry?" she said with surprise. "Where are you going? We're about to do a craft before the dismissal bell rings."

"Sorry, Ms. Blanchard, I have to go. It's an emergency." He told her.

"An emergency?" Ms. Blanchard asked in a worried tone. "What kind of emergency? Is it Emma?"

"No, no, Emma hasn't done anything. I can't tell you, but you have to let me leave right now, please!" Henry begged.

"You already skipped during lunch," she reminded him.

"Ms. Blanchard, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really, REALLY, important!" Mary Margaret could see the desperation in his eyes and didn't question him further.

"Just promise me that you'll be home on time, so your mother doesn't find out that I let you leave early." She told him in a hushed tone. Henry gave her a smile and nod as he snaked around her and into the hallway. "Be careful!"

* * *

"This is your shop?" asked Belle as she entered the front door to the pawnshop. Her eyes danced around the room of various knickknacks and bobbles.

"Indeed it is," Gold said as he watched her explore. "Anything like you expected?"

"When you said you owned a 'pawnshop', I didn't really know what you meant." She confessed. "I figured seeing it would be the best way to find out."

"And?"

"It's a place filled with treasure." She beamed as she opened the lid of a jewelry box to reveal a dancing ballerina and a soft melody. "Like in one of the stories I used to read."

"They let you read there?" Gold could not deny his surprise at the thought.

"Only if I was 'good', the nurse would give me something to read. Mostly the classics." She told him as she slowly made her way around the room. The quiet melody of the music box continued to play as her curiosity took her to a shelf of old books. "May I?"

"Be my guest," he smiled as he brought her the sliding ladder. "Careful now." He held the ladder as she climbed. Surely to goodness, history wouldn't repeat itself, but Rumplestiltskin always expected the unexpected. Up 'til, today at least.

"Where did you get all of these? They look hundreds of years old!" Belle marveled as she grazed her fingers over the spines of some of the books.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He smirked. She looked down at him with a skeptical look.

"Try me," she dared. The music box fell silent as they stared at each other, neither willing to look away.

However, their attentions were brought back to the present by the sudden opening and slamming of the front door. The loud noise startled Belle and she lost her balance on the ladder. She fell a couple of feet before landing in the familiar arms of Mr. Gold, almost like he had expected her to fall. She stared at him in disbelief for a moment.

Gold was not surprised at all. In fact, he had been waiting for her to fall from the moment she started climbing the ladder. He smirked at the surprise on her face. This familiarity of her falling into his arms was enough for Rumplestiltskin to see a slight glow in her eyes. However, neither one was unaware of the amount of unmistakable proof they had provided the person who had entered the pawnshop.

"Mr. Gold!" Henry cried.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Leave it to Belle to fall off ANOTHER ladder :) And little Henry! He's so smart, of course he'd figure it out! So tell me what you think! PLEASE! I love hearing your feedback :D You know what to do: REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: *WARNING spoilers of the finale in A/N* DID YOU SEE THE FINALE! OMG! RUMBELLE REUNION! Dearies everywhere are proclaiming Jefferson/Mad Hatter the Captain of this ship! OMG I'm still fangirl squealing! I have no idea how I'm going to get through a summer without OUaT! Anyways, here's the next chapter of _this_ tale. (This is more of a filler chapter.)**

**Chapter 6**

"I knew it!" Henry cried in triumph, but his smile was short lived.

Belle's mind raced through memories she didn't remember having. Things she had never seen before except in her wildest dreams. Pictures of castles and far off places flashed in her head like a strobe light. The feeling of falling overwhelmed her again, but this time someone else caught her. There was a face, but it couldn't be human, covered in greenish gold scales. Eyes that looked almost goblin like, and they stared into the very depths of her being. Soon the room was spinning and she was no longer in the pawnshop or the castle, but the dark cell of a tower with a woman looming over her. The next thing Belle saw was blackness and silence rang in her ears.

"Belle!" Gold cried. No sooner had she fallen into his arms and looked at him with a glow in her eyes, did she faint. The words had barley escaped Henry's mouth when her eyes rolled back and body went limp. Gold dropped to his knees, and panic consumed him. This was not happening, he couldn't have found her only to lose her again. "No, no, no, Belle!"

"What happened?" Henry asked as he rushed to her side. Gold ignored the boy, as he check to see if Belle was still breathing. Fear overthrew him as the thought of losing her again raced through the inner workings of his mind. His heart slightly slowed as he heard her breathing softly. Gold gathered Belle up once again into his arms and rose to his feet.

"Hurry, to the back," he ordered Henry. Henry bolted to the back room and found an antique couch Mr. Gold had apparently been restoring. Gold ignored the sharp bolt of pain in his leg as he made his way to his workroom. Henry had pushed the work tools off of the couch to make sufficient room for the young woman. Gold placed Belle down gently.

"What happened to her?" Henry asked again.

"I'm not sure," Gold answered more out of thinking aloud instead of actually making an effort to converse with Henry.

"Do you think she was remembering?" Henry couldn't help but smile. Gold looked up as he caught the boy's words.

"What?"

"Like when she fell off the ladder in your castle and you caught her, you might have triggered her memory!" Henry sputtered excitedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Gold began before the boy cut him off.

"Deny it all you want, but I know the truth. August already told me, so there's no point it hiding it from me." Henry beamed, unafraid of the man glaring at him. "But, anyways, I came to help."

"Help?" Gold huffed, looking between Henry and Belle.

"I know you had to make some sort of deal with my mom, and since she gave you Belle, it must have been huge." Henry said. Rumplestiltskin grew more aggravated by the second as the boy rambled on about things he already knew and his Belle lay unconscious. "Whatever it is, you can't do it. You know it's got to be a trap."

"I know!" Rumplestiltskin could not stand it anymore. He glared dangerously at the little princeling. A twinge of fear crept up Henry's spine as he stared in disbelief at Mr. Gold. "You want your confirmation, well congratulations little prince, here it is. I did make a deal with the Evil Queen to free Belle, and whether your or I like it or not, the deal is struck and there's no going back."

The room was silent again as Gold turned to Belle and Henry shrank into a corner. Belle's beautiful face was now relaxed with unconscious bliss. Gold hoped beyond hopes that this was only a temporary state.

"So, you really are Rumplestiltskin?" Henry squeaked from the corner.

"More or less," Gold sighed.

"What was the deal?" Henry slowly walked up behind Gold.

"It was a blind deal, she only told me a small part." He admitted.

"A blind deal? What's that?"

"It could be anything from running a simple errand to destroying the very fabric of time and space."

"Oh," Henry's eyes grew wide. "But why did you agree to that?"

"Because," Gold began, looking down at Belle's comatose form. "I love her." Gold refused to look at the boy as he felt his eyes reflect the pain he was in. Instead, he brushed a stray hair out of Belle's face and barely grazed her face with his fingers. Suddenly, she began to stir.

"What? Where am I?" she gasped as her eyes fluttered open to find Mr. Gold's face. Relief flooded his body.

"You fainted, Belle. You're in my workshop, and you're safe." he answered. His heart pounded against his chest and sent a throbbing pain up into his head. He took a deep breath as he saw her examining his face as she did before.

"I fainted?" she tried to sit up, but a searing pain shot through her head. Her hands moved to her temples and her eyes squeezed shut at the pain.

"Take it easy," Gold said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Henry, go to the register and in the top drawer there should be some headache medicine."

"Okay," Henry went into the front room to the register. He opened the top drawer and began digging through various items collected in it. Various office supplies, empty vials, and some sort of aged scroll lay at the top of the heap. At the bottom of the drawer he found the headache medicine. He headed to the back of the store to find Belle sitting up on the couch as Mr. Gold handed her a glass of water before sitting next to her with both hands on his cane.

Henry silently handed off the bottle of pills to Mr. Gold, and then faded into the background. Gold poured to little tablets into his hand and held them out for Belle. She looked at them unsure and back up to Gold.

"This will help your headache." He told her. She was still hesitant to take them. "I promise, that's all. I wouldn't give you anything that would harm you."

"They used to make me take pills and shots, they made me feel dizzy and strange." Belle said, still refusing to take the pills from Gold. "Please, don't make me take them."

"Alright," Gold closed his hand around the pills and then placing them in the bottle again. "As you wish."

.

.

.

.

.

**Can anyone find my little easter egg? Hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello Dearies! May I just say how much I love reading your reviews and how happy I am that you're enjoying the story thus far. I hope you like fluff bunnies, because I sure do! This may be the fluffiest chapter yet :D**

**Chapter 7**

"What kind of deal are we talking about?" Henry asked arms crossed and brow raised. He and Mr. Gold were standing in the front of the shop, while Belle rested on the couch in the back.

"I need your help," Gold said. Henry cocked his head to the side.

"Uh huh," Henry stared Gold in the eye. "But what all would I have to do exactly?"

"Nothing much, just whatever I ask of you at the time." Rumplestiltskin said casually.

"So kind of like a blind deal?" Henry asked mockingly. "I don't think so. Try again."

"Alright," Gold was simmering with frustration. He had been trying to reel the kid in for nearly an hour now. "How about we word it as such. You will do whatever it takes to see to it that Belle is safe from Regina. That entails spying, lying, stealing, and possibly causing bodily harm or murder."

"Better, but still vague." Henry thought for a moment. He knew better than to make deals with the master deal-weaver, but he had already decided to help protect Belle regardless of any deal. Henry felt confident that he knew enough about Rumplestiltskin form reading about him, but he never dreamed he would be making a deal with him. "Take out the bodily harm and murder part."

"Okay, so do we have a deal?" Rumplestiltskin was waiting on pins and needles.

"Not quite yet. What do I get out of this?" Henry smirked. Gold was in no mood to negotiate, but he knew he might not have another opportunity to use Henry. He knew how to handle royals. Even if this boy had never known the lavished life, Rumplestiltskin could sense some of his grandfather's cockiness in him.

"You will have my full support in breaking the curse." He gave a small bow.

"Support? Nope, not good enough. Support could mean anything." Henry told Mr. Gold. Rumplestiltskin was a bit surprised at the boy's ability of seeing the loophole. He could not help but give the lad a smirk.

"Indeed, what is it that you want, your majesty?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "For the curse to be broken and everyone to get their happily ever afters? For you and Emma to live together as family? Or perhaps, a brand new bike would suffice?"

"I want Good to win. I want Emma to believe. I want the curse to be broken, and for all of us to go back to the Fairytale Land, where Good always wins and everyone has their happily ever afters back. And I want the unadulterated, unrestricted access to whatever power you have to see that it happens." Henry said as he climbed on top of a small stool, bringing himself eye level with Rumplestiltskin. The imp was taken aback by the boy's skill in wording deals and his vocabulary. What was Mary Margaret teaching kids these days? "Do we have a deal, Rumplestiltskin?"

"You drive a hard bargain, Little Prince," the imp smirked. "I don't think this is a fair trade."

"You love her, don't you? If you want my help, then you know what to say." Henry held out his hand. Rumplestiltskin stared at the small hand of the boy.

"Deal," Rumplestiltskin agreed after a short pause. They shook hands and Henry left the shop. Gold watched as he hopped on his bike and peddled like a maniac down the sidewalk to get home on time.

"Mr. Gold?" Belle said quietly as she poked her head around the curtain separating the back of the shop. Gold turned around and gave her a smile. However, it faded at the sight of the melancholy on her face.

"Is everything alright, Belle?" Gold walked over to her. His cane clicking the ground with every step.

"I've just been thinking," she said looking down. "I'm not ready to go back to my papa."

"You don't have to go back." He said trying to calm her worry as he placed a hand on her shoulder. However, he could see the distress in her eyes and in her voice.

"But that's the problem," she told him as he tears that had been brimming in her eyes were beginning to fall down her cheeks. Before she knew it, she was sobbing in front of a man she had met only a few hours ago, yet it felt like she had known him all her life. She didn't notice when he set his cane aside and pulled her close in an embrace. She merely continued to cry on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her body perfectly.

Gold could not understand the incoherent words she spoke between sobs. All he could do was hold on to her. Her arms were wrapped securely around his torso. Her hands clung to the fabric of his jacket. Her face was buried in his chest. He ran his own hand down her maple lock as he tried to sooth her.

Her throat kept catching as she continued. "I have nowhere else to go if I don't go back to Papa. I have no one else."

"Shh, Belle, you shouldn't worry," he cooed in a quiet voice as he held her tight. "I'm here, you have me."

"But where am I going to stay? I don't have any money or…." She began.

"So, you need a home?" He asked her. She looked up at him with watery eyes. "It just so happens that I have a house with quiet a few unoccupied rooms. I would be honored if you would be my guest there until you find another suitable arrangement."

"Why… are you so nice… to me?" She sobbed as she buried her face into his shoulder. Gold rubbed his hand across her upper back.

"It's a long story," he couldn't help but smirk as he remembered their time in the Dark Castle.

"I do like stories." She gave a small halfhearted laugh.

"I know," he said. She looked up to the man holding her. She stared into his eyes as he did the same. This man seemed to know her so well, and yet she couldn't even think to how she knew him. His hand came to her cheek and wiped away the remaining tears there with his thumb. His eyes trailed down to her rosy lips, and flashed quickly back up to her eyes. She could see something hiding behind his eyes. Suddenly, he dropped his hand from her face and released his embrace. Clearing his throat he said, "I'll get your coat."

With that, Belle was left in the middle of the shop in slight shock and one aching thought lingering in her mind. _Why didn't he kiss me?_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

**A/N: GAH! Sorry, but they can't kiss just yet! But hey, she's kind of moving in with him so, you never know what could happen... ;) As always, reviews are appreciated! I love to hear your thoughts!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: And so we meet again! I hope you have all been well! I can't ever begin to tell you how awesome you all are with your reviews and story alerts! THANK YOU! So is anyone else slightly depressed that this is the first Sunday since the finale? I have no idea what to do with the hour of my life I now have... I'll probably just go mad and have a tea party with Jefferson. Anywho, without further adieu, I present CHAPTER 8!**

**Chapter 8**

"We should pick you up some clothes," Mr. Gold said as he drove down the road. Belle turned from looking out the window.

"But I don't have any money," she stated plainly. Gold gave her a look.

"Belle, stop worrying about money. I can buy your clothes." He told her.

"I couldn't ask you to do that." She said. "You've been so generous as it is."

"Well, you can't wear those clothes for the rest of your life." He smirked as he parked in front of Weaver Bro. Tailoring & Clothing Store. "Plus, I have to pick up a new suit."

They entered the nearly deserted store, to be greeted by two gentlemen.

"Oh, Mr. Gold, how nice to see you again, sir." Said one.

"Come for your suit? We have it ready for you. And might we say, it is one of the nicest we have ever cut. Only a fool would say different." Said the other. Gold shook hands with them both.

"Thank you gentlemen, I'm sure it is." Gold said. "However, my friend is in need of a few outfits." Both men looked over to Belle, in slight shock that not only did Mr. Gold have a friend, but a beauty. "Belle, this is Mr. Weaver and his brother, Mr. Weaver."

"Hello," she said nervously.

"I'm Roger Weaver," said the bald, taller man as he shook her hand.

"And I'm Howard Weaver," said the shorter and pudgier one, shaking her hand as well. "Perhaps, I should have my wife help you find some things to try on. Marie!" He cried over his shoulder, causing Belle to jump. She looked up at Mr. Gold, who nodded faintly to show her that everything was fine.

"What! What do you want!" Came a shout from somewhere further back in the story. Suddenly, a tall thin woman came into view. Her dark hair was beginning to grey, and her face was showing signs of sleeplessness and aging.

"Could you, please, help Mr. Gold's guest find some clothes." Howard said. The woman looked up to see Mr. Gold, and suddenly, her demeanor changed. She gave a big smile and became bubbly.

"Of course I can!" She cooed. "Follow me, my dear." Belle hesitated, and looked back to Mr. Gold. He gave another nod as the woman pulled her to the women's clothing. Belle grew anxious as she lost sight of Mr. Gold. The woman remained perky and bubbly as she measured Belle and went off to pick articles of clothing and some shoes. She then pushed Belle into a small changing room for her to try on the arm full of clothes she kept bringing her.

"Oh, you look so lovely in that," she'd say to every outfit Belle tried on. Belle felt overwhelmed by the bombarding of the saleswoman. After what seemed an eternity of trying on nearly every piece of clothing and every shoe in her size, Belle shut the door to the dressing room and asked the woman if she could try the rest of it on in peace. "Oh, of course, I'll go and put away the stuff you didn't like."

Belle sat alone in the dressing room, back in her own clothes, hugging her knees. This really was too much for one day. The woman was only trying to impress Belle, but in her exuberance had inadvertently scared the poor girl. Belle figured that Mr. Gold must be a powerful man for the townspeople to act the way they did around him. Minutes passed by and time seemed to be irrelevant in the little room in which she sat. A light knock on the door caused her to look up.

"Belle?" came Mr. Gold's voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she lied, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Belle," he said. "Tell the truth."

"I'll be alright." She assured him. "It's just a little overwhelming."

"If you would like to go, we can." He told her. After a brief moment of silence, he heard the door unlock and Belle step out. Her hair was slightly messier from the multiple changes.

"That sounds wonderful." She gave him one of her small smiles. In the end, she had picked a few pairs of jeans, a dozen tops, a couple of skirts, the necessary amount of undergarments, and one casual, yet pretty, blue dress. She questioned the length of the skirts and the dress, but the saleswoman assured her that they were plenty modest. She also was concerned about the low cut of the blouses she had picked, but was told, again, that they were modest. She had only found two pairs of shoes that she liked: a pair of black ballet flats, and a pair of flat-heeled brown boots, the saleswoman had picked out for her.

"Is that everything, Mr. Gold?" asked Roger Weaver. After a quick look at Belle, Gold nodded and handed him his credit card. Belle was intrigued that a tiny piece of plastic could buy all of the things that he had allowed her to pick out.

"Thank you, again, Mr. Gold. You have a lovely day." Said Howard, "And you too, Ms. Belle." Roger helped them carry their shopping bags out to Gold's car.

"Goodbye, Mr. Gold. Ms. Belle," he slightly bowed his head to the young woman. Belle sat silently the rest of the car ride, and was glad that Mr. Gold sensed how drained she was and did not press conversation. After driving across town and into a small street of houses, he car pulled to a stop in front of his own house. He got out and went to the passenger side to open the door for Belle. When she turned to see the house, she couldn't hide the smile that formed.

"Pink?" she asked playfully, her normal demeanor returning. "Your house is pink?"

"And what's wrong with that," he said with a raised brow. Her smiled crumbled.

"Nothing, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" Her rambled apology was cut short by his laughing. She was still so easy to tease.

"I'm only joking, Belle," He said as they both stood in front of his house gazing up at it. "Pink isn't my preferred color, but anytime I try to paint over it, the new paint doesn't set well and chips off until the whole house is pink again."

"Huh," Belle said crossing her arms and cocked her head to the side, still staring at the pink house. "That's strange, it's like the house is cursed to be pink forever."

"If you say so," Mr. Gold smirked. Belle had no idea how close she was to the truth. This had been Regina's doing, of course, making sure that Rumplestiltskin's home in this world looked as ridiculous as possible. "Shall we?"

"What about the bags?" she asked.

"I'll come and get them later," he told her, "first I think a tour is in order."

Belle took his arm as he escorted her to the door. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door. When it opened and they walked in, it took Belle a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light.

"Excuse the mess, I've been rearranging some things around." He told her slightly embarrassed at the disorder. Her eyes finally adjusted to see a hodgepodge of antiques and other artifacts scattered about the front room. She turned her head to see a sitting room that was in the same state of clutter.

"Think nothing of it." She gave him a reassuring smile. He then began a small tour of the house: sitting room, dining room, living room, kitchen, and laundry room. She marveled at the size of the rooms, especially, the kitchen. It looked like it could be used to feed a small army, and the dining room looked like it could seat that army comfortably. However, just about every room had a small pile of various objects and looked like it needed a good dusting. He, then, took her upstairs. After passing a few empty and unused rooms, he led her to another door at the end of the hall.

"Close you eyes," he said. Belle's brow rose.

"Why?"

"It's a surprise," he smirked. With one last skeptical glance, Belle closed her eye. She heard as the door opened and Gold led her into this mysterious room. "Alright, open them."

Belle opened her eyes to find herself in the midst of a rather large personal library. The walls were covered with shelves upon shelves of books. New books, old books, big books, small books all surrounded her. Her smile lit the room as she stared in disbelief.

"You have a library?" she breathed as she walked around the room, gazing upon the various titles and editions.

"It would appear so, yes," Gold smirked as he leaned against the doorframe and took in her glee. "Feel free to explore as much as you wish, while you stay here."

"You really are the nicest man I've ever met." She smiled.

"You can't have met many decent men then," he jested. "But as long as you are here, this library is as good as yours." Belle's heart skipped a beat.

"You have been so good to me, but I can't just live off of your generosity. I want to work for my keep." She told him decidedly.

"That's not necessary."

"But it is!" she insisted. "Please, I could do housework or something."

"Well," Gold pondered for a moment. _Could things really be falling into place so naturally? _"I could use a caretaker, I suppose."

"Excellent," Belle beamed as she held out her hand. "It's a deal, then."

Gold looked at the slender hand outstretched towards him. He took her hand in his own. "Deal."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**Everything is falling into place, like it once did in Fairytale Land. Belle's living with Rumple, and now is going to be his caretaker. Funny how things just work out :) But hey! 50 OUAT points to whoever can guess who Roger and Howard Weaver's alter egos are! (Clue: their last name) Happy Hunting!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: You guys, you guys! I can't think of anything else to say that just THANK YOU! And your guesses about the Weavers Brothers' alter egos were so creative. I LOVE IT! But, no one seemed to guess the right answer. And so, I've given another clue in this chapter that might help you figure it out. So enjoy!**

**Chapter 9**

After leaving the library, Mr. Gold took her back into the hall. Continuing the tour, they passed by other rooms used only as storage. In the middle of the hall was the bathroom, complete with a large clawfoot bathtub. Oddly, there were no mirrors in the bathroom. Belle thought this odd considering even the asylum's bathing room had mirrors. He showed her where the towels, soaps, shampoo, and conditioners were. However, Gold cursed himself for not thinking earlier of picking her up some toiletries like a hairbrush, toothbrush, and other such commodities. He did promise to purchase such things the following morning. He then led her to the end of the hall.

"And this is your room." He said as he slowly opened the door. The room was rather large and painted a light shade of yellow that greatly countered the dull grey Belle had been surrounded by for so long. It's soft brightness flattered the furniture made of the ebony, all of which were beautifully carved in delicate designs fit for a princess. Granted the room did not seem to be used for some time, its charm had not left it. The bed was bare, but still had an air of welcome. The window had little nook to sit on and enjoy the sun that was now setting. "Will it do?"

"It's perfect," she smiled as she entered in and immersed herself in the inviting atmosphere.

"Linen cupboard is there. Some sheets, blankets, and pillows should be inside. Your closet is over there to the right with plenty of space for what we've just bought you." Gold told her as she leisurely explored her new room. Her fingers caressed the footboard of the bed as she continued towards the window, where she sat down and took in the view. "If there is anything else you need, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you," she said softly, but fervently. Gold allowed himself to smile.

"I'll get your clothes from the car."

"Do you need any help?" she asked about to get up from her seat.

"No, no," he assured her. "You need some time to adjust to the new surroundings."

"If you say so," she said, but knew he was right. This had been quite the eventful day. She had freedom, food, fainting, shopping, and a new home all in a matter of hours. As Gold left, she looked out the window to see the neighborhood engulfed in the orange light of the sunset that leaked through the cloudy horizon. After a moment or too, she looked back at her room. _Her room_. She rose and walked to the lined cupboard. She decided it was time to make her new bed.

Gold walked down the stairs at an easy pace. He was in no hurry, yet his heart was still racing. Though he had been with her all day it was still hard to fathom that all this time, she had been in reach. No matter what Regina had in store for this deal they were in, he would find one way or another to make her pay.

He had decided a long time ago that death was too good, too merciful, for her. Her keeping Belle locked away from him only strengthened that belief. As he opened the front door and walked to his car, all manner of dark thoughts of revenge loomed in his mind. When he had the first load of bags in his hands, he looked up to a window to see Belle wondering about in her room. With a deep breath, he pushed the dark thoughts away for another time. He had his true love to think about now, and the daunting drawback of her memory pressed into his mind.

How to make her remember who he was. Who she was. How to make her remember that she loved him, and for him to admit his true feelings to her. But the only way for that to happen is for the Savior to break the curse. And the only way for the Savior to break the curse was to believe in the curse. And for her to believe in the curse, she was going to have to stop worrying about losing her son. And the only way for that to happen was if she had custody of him. But he had already made a deal to see that that outcome did not happen.

He set the bags down on a side table in the front room. Rumplestiltskin's head began to ache as his mind ran through more possibilities. Now that Henry had agreed to help him protect Belle and be, more or less, his own personal spy, Gold felt he had a little edge on Regina. Though he hated to admit it, he was going to have to enlist August in helping speed up the process of Emma believing in the curse. Even if that little puppet had done everything in his power to convince her, August didn't have the assistance of one Rumplestiltskin. The sooner she believed, the better.

Gold had finished moving the assorted shopping bags into the house, including his new suit the Weavers had made. He smirked as he thought of the irony of the Weavers making an actual suit instead of what they had done in the old world to a rather prideful, yet senseless, emperor. He was about to start taking things upstairs when his house phone rang. Walking into the kitchen he answered on the third ring.

"Regina, what an unpleasant surprise." He hissed.

"Having a nice day frolicking around with your beloved?" Regina asked sharply.

"What do you want?" Gold snapped. "I thought you were calling tomorrow?"

"Well, you know how impatient I can get. I'd like to know what you had in mind for holding up your end of the bargain?"

"I haven't seen Sherriff Swan today." He told her plainly.

"Then I suppose you ought to sooner rather than later."

"I actually more curious as to what makes you think she's going to just disappear if she does lose Henry to you?" He challenged her. He heard a small chuckle from the Evil Queen before she answered.

"Ah, you see, that's where the beauty of this deal comes in." Gold could hear her smirk. "You're going to make her disappear."

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Dun! Dun! Dun! Oh, Regina is up to no good (as always). But Rumple has his ways to find loopholes in every deal. Maybe he'll find one in this deal too, despite his disadvantage of not knowing all the details... By the way, if you still are stumped as to who the Weavers are, another clue would be... Hans Christian Andersen. Reviews are always welcome (and very much appreciated) :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again fellow Dearies! May I just say that you guys rock! And yes, the Weaver Brothers were indeed form the story The Emperor's New Clothes! Sorry it this chapter took so long to post, LIFE decided to interrupt me this week. But I finally found some spare time to write the next installment of this story. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 10**

_What to do? What to do?_ Gold thought calmly to himself as he tried to forced sleep to take him. He looked over at the clock, which mocked him by saying 1:02 AM. Only two minutes had passed since the last time he looked. _So she did know how to bring a little magic over to this world. _Gold stared at the ceiling of his bedroom and ran all of what had happened through his mind.

* * *

"Disappear?" Gold repeated into the phone. "You do remember what happens if you kill Ms. Swan?"

"Yeah, yeah ,yeah, it breaks the curse, but I didn't say 'kill her'. I said 'make her disappear'."

"Next I suppose you want me to pull a rabbit out of my hat." He scoffed.

"No, not quite, but speaking of hats," she said slyly.

"Jefferson," he acknowledged. "I should've guessed. But how do you expect him to…"

"Let me worry about that." She snapped. There was a beat of silence.

"Ah, so you did manage to bring over some magic from the old world." He said calmly. "Sadly, I doubt it's enough to send her to another dimension."

"Who said anything about sending anything," she cackled. "Retrieval is a more accurate term. And I have all the magic I need for that little task, thank you."

"All magic comes at a price, Dearie" he retorted.

"We can worry about that later. First, I need you to make sure Emma loses the custody battle." Regina said, ignoring Rumplestiltskin's favorite motto.

"Why go through the trouble of a custody battle if you plan on making her 'disappear' in the end?"

"This way Henry has some closure. Once she loses Henry and goes missing, it won't be that hard to convince everyone she just skipped town." She told him plainly. "I think that little cellar where you hid Kathryn Nolan would work nicely, assuming Emma doesn't end up resurfacing."

"Indeed, I suppose that would put a dent in your little plan." He smirked. "Another question is, why you think Emma would come to me after I refused her?"

"Don't all desperate souls turn to you, Rumple?" she inquired. "Plus, she believes that you're the only one who can take me on."

"Well, she hit the nail on the head with that, didn't she?" He sneered. "Even in this world, you'll never be more powerful than me."

"Don't fool yourself in thinking you have the power here. Emma's not the only one I can make disappear." Regina hissed. Gold was silent for a moment. "I can take little Belle away just as easily."

"You will do no such thing," he said confidently.

"Wh…" Regina began before Gold cut her off.

"Please," he smirked. Next thing he heard was the dial tone as Regina hung up the phone. Gold placed his own back onto the receiver as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Mr. Gold?" came Belle's gentle voice from somewhere on the first floor.

"In the kitchen, Belle," he called as he stood up straight just as she rounded the corner. Her bright eyes lit up as she caught sight of him.

"Is everything alright?" She asked timidly. Gold gave her a reassuring smile.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine." He told her, hiding his true frustration. "Why?"

"It's just, you said you were going to get the bags, but you never brought them up," she said curiously.

"Oh, yes, well, I got a little side tracked," he told her. "My apologies."

"I guess I can forgive you," she tried to hide a smirk, "this once."

"Can I get you anything?" he asked after a brief silence. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, I'm still full from lunch," she smiled. "If you don't mind, I was going to wash up and go to bed."

"Of course," he said automatically. He followed her out of the kitchen as she walked back down the hall to grab the shopping bags. "Here, let me help you."

He picked up two of the three bags along with his suit and followed her up the stairs. Once back in her room, he set the bag on her newly made bed and she began emptying them. The clothes were scattered upon the crème colored comforter. While she did such, he took his new suit to his own room on the other end of the corridor. He took this time to process the current situation with Regina.

_So Regina obviously isn't going to kill Emma or send her to another dimension. But what did she mean retrieving something? Well, as long as Emma's still around, it may prove advantageous that she believe and break the curse, before she disappears. And it's going to take more than the little princeling to convince her._

* * *

The same thoughts ran through his mind now as he lay in his bed. He looked at the clock again. 1:05 AM. Grumbling quietly, he threw the covers off of him and got out of bed. He obviously was not going to get much sleep tonight. Perhaps a hot cup of tea would help him easy into a drowsy state. And if that didn't work, he had a nice bottle of bourbon in the cupboard.

He silently descended the stairs into the kitchen. Opening the pantry, he quickly scanned the various shelves until he found the box of tea. He took one bag out and put the kettle on. It didn't occur to him that he was making too much noise until the kettle began loudly whistling on the stove. He quickly removed it from the stove and listened to hear if Belle was stirring. After a few moments of silence, he let the tea steep while he retrieved a cup from the cabinet.

"What're you doing?" The sound of Belle's inquisitive voice in the silence made him jump and drop the cup in his hand. He looked up to see her bright eyes grow wide and her brow wrinkle. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Here let me help." She knelt down next to him where the shards of the cup lay scattered on the floor. Her face shown the shy guilt it had when she had chipped the cup in Dark Castle. "I'm so sorry."

"It's just a cup," he said. She looked up and their eyes met. Once again, he saw the slightest hint of recognition on her face. Their gaze was broken by the slightest touch of their fingers trying to pick up the same fragment of the cup. Belle was not sure why, but she could not help but blush. Gold cleared his throat nervously and retracted his hand. "Would you like a cup of tea, Belle?"

"That sounds lovely." She smiled as they both rose to their feet. "I couldn't sleep. It's been sort of an exciting day."

"That it has," Gold smirked grabbing two new teacups. "But I fear it is only the beginning."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hello fellow Dearies! I hope that those of you from the US had a lovely Memorial Day weekend, and I hope the rest of you had a wonderful weekend as well. Needless to say, I've been a little preoccupied with festivities the last couple of days, but am now back in the swing of things. Your reviews have been so amazing and I'm overjoyed that you're enjoying the story thus far. And so, allow me to present you with the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11**

"So, what exactly does a pawnbroker do?" Belle asked before taking another sip of her tea. They had moved from the kitchen to the library after Mr. Gold had swept up the broken teacup. He started a fire in the small mantle in the room full of books. Belle had taken a seat in one of the large chairs in the room and Mr. Gold sat opposite in another.

"Well, if people need my assistance, they trade their valuables to me, and vice versa." He explained. Gold was content to answer her questions as she eagerly asked them. He could tell she was trying to form in her mind what the world was like outside of the asylum.

"Oh, and is that why your shop is filled with all that stuff?" she asked. Gold smiled.

"Yes, that's where all of the _stuff_ comes from." He sipped his tea. She smiled and began to gaze at the fire while drinking her tea. She was wearing a pair of plaid pajama bottoms from the store and the top she had received from the hospital today. Her hair was still slightly damp from where she had bathed. The heat from the fire began to cause little ringlets to form around her face. The yellow glow from the hearth danced on her face. Gold was surprised she didn't sense him staring at her. He remembered in the kitchen she had, for a split second, recognized him. She had looked at him like she had all those years ago.

"What about your family?" She asked, but after the somewhat bewildered expression on Gold's face, she realized it was a touchy subject. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It's just you have such a large house, I just assumed."

"No, not at all." He answered calmly. "I had a son once, but I lost him a long time ago."

"Oh," she peeped as her face fell. There was a long pause between them. Gold began to remember the last time they had this conversation, and the kiss. Their first and last kiss soft as a feather and sweet as honey. His memory then led to the tragedy that soon followed. Yet, here she sat across from him in his Storybrooke mansion. "What was his name?"

"What?" Gold looked up from his thoughts.

"Your son," she said. "What was his name?"

"Bae," the name escaped his lips with the familiar bittersweet emotion tied to it. "His name was Bae."

"Bae," she repeated with a smile. "It's a handsome name."

"Thank you." He answered quietly. Then, there was quiet in the room as they both drank their tea. Gold kept his eyes on Belle as more moments of content silence passed by. His mind wondered through the passed few hours of the day he had spent with her. All the things she did and said. "Belle?"

"Yes?" she looked up from the fire's mesmerizing flames. Her eyes were relaxed, but still bright. Gold hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"What do you remember before the hospital?" He expected there to be some discomfort at his question. However, it was innocent confusion he saw on her face.

"It's strange. I thought that once I was outside of the basement, I would recognize everything. Recognize Storybrooke, but I don't. I've never seen any of this before, and I know that must sound strange." She answered half expecting him to look at her like all the nurses and doctors used to.

"No," he said simply. "I believe you."

"You do?" she asked, stunned that anyone would believe that.

"Yes." She could see that he wasn't lying. "You said that you remembered you're father sending you away."

"Well, I told you that I remembered, but what I told you isn't the whole truth." She said sheepishly. "I thought you would send me back if I told you the truth."

"I will never send you away," he said, biting his tongue not to add 'again' at the end of his sentence.

"Promise you won't think I'm insane?" she asked, waiting for an answer. Gold raised his brow in puzzlement. "When I told Dr. Whale and the nurses, he said it was a dream and told me what I told you earlier about my father letting Regina and Dr. Whale take me away. I tried to tell him it wasn't a dream and he stuck me with a needle and I woke up two days later."

"You can trust me, Belle." He promised. Dr. Whale would pay for harming his Belle.

"I have one memory, but it's very scattered." She told him. He watched as she closed her eyes. "I remember coming home. I hadn't been there for a long time and I was upset about something, but I don't remember what. Papa looked at me like he didn't expect to see me. I remember that he hugged me and was happy to see me, but I said something that changed him. I think I told him why I was upset. Almost instantly, he turned me out and said I wasn't his daughter anymore. Next thing I remember, I was being chased through the woods by dark figures on horseback. Then I'm in a dark room with Regina laughing at me, saying I was a foolish girl for caring for someone who would never care for me in return, but I don't think she was talking about my Papa." She grew quiet. "Then I was in the asylum."

There was silence between them. Belle opened her eyes and stared down at her half empty teacup. She was too afraid to look at Mr. Gold, scared that he would look at her like she was truly insane. But when she drew enough courage to glimpse up at him she saw something she did not anticipate: hurt. Why was he so sympathetic to a story she knew sounded like the ranting of a mad woman? She had a feeling he knew something more.

In Rumplestiltskin's mind, old wounds were made fresh. He knew what was upsetting Belle when she had returned home. He knew why her father had turned her out at such news. He knew whom she had cared for. And he knew that the beast she had fallen in love with was in love with her also. He hated himself for being a fool and making her leave. He vowed now never to lose her again. Just then, the clock struck 3 and the chiming of the old clock in the library rang.

"Well, would you look at the time," Gold said. "I think we've stayed up longer than either of us intended."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Ah, a nice fire sat chat with Rumple and Belle. Hope you liked it! I'm thinking that Belle is going to have to meet Henry again and maybe even Emma :) Wonder what she'll think about a beautiful young woman living with Mr. Gold?**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Oh Dearies and Oncers alike, I have been experiencing serious withdrawals from the show. This is going to be one LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG summer. I know I can't be the only one... maybe? But you guys make the wait easier. I'm loving the reviews! They are greatly appreciated. Anyways, as promised, we have our first Emma appearance in this story :) Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 12**

Henry rode his bike down the sidewalk from his house into town. Thank goodness it was Saturday and he didn't have school to hinder him from a whole day of Operation: Cobra work. His mother on the other hand had been harder to get around, but it seemed that today fate smiled on him because Regina had a meeting with some members of the city council or at least that's what she told him she was doing. Henry didn't really care as long as she bought his 'go play with my friends' excuse. She must have been really concerned about this meeting otherwise she would have easily seen through that lie.

Henry peddled faster as he turned passed Granny's and down the street towards the Weaver's store. He flew down the small hill in front of the clothing store and zigzagged his way through the few people on the sidewalk. Henry skidded to a stop in front of the Sherriff's office. He ran up the few stairs in front of the building only to be greeted by an empty station.

"Emma?" He poked his head in her office to find a not on her desk.

"_Gone to Gold's Pawnshop. Don't bother me unless it's a real emergency. Be back whenever._

_Emma"_

Henry looked over at the phone on her desk. There was a bleeping red button that alerted him of a voicemail. He pressed he button and after a loud BLEEP Mr. Gold's voice came over the speaker.

"Ah yes, Sheriff Swan, this is Mr. Gold. I have been thinking and it seems I may have been a bit hasty in turning down your request for representation in your case against Regina. If you have time, I'd like to discuss this in person. Just drop by my shop sometime today and I'll see what I can do. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement."

Henry threw the note back onto the desk and bolted back outside to his trusty steed…. Well bike.

* * *

Emma took a deep breath before getting out of her car. She looked at the old pawnshop weighing the scales of good and bad in her mind. Was this really the best option she had? True, Mr. Gold got the results, but was she willing to use his questionable methods when Henry was thrown into the mix? After her lunch with Archie, she was having second thoughts about this whole custody battle thing. He had a point, ever since she showed up in Henry's life (the other way around was more like it) he's skipped school, risked his own safety, continually believing in a delusion. Was she really the best thing for him? Maybe Regina had been right all along. Maybe Henry was better off without her.

The bell to Gold's shop jingled and jangled as Sherriff Swan entered the establishment. The front of the shop was deserted as she stepped further inside. She did note that it was far cleaner than the last time she was here. Things were dusted, floors were swept, and it looked like everything was organized instead of just thrown here and there.

"Gold? You here?" she asked expecting to hear a snide comment coming from the back. Instead, she was greeted by young woman she had never seen before. Her brunette locks fell into delicate dark curls that contrasted her bright blue eyes. Emma raised her brow. "Uh, you're not Gold."

"No, I'm Belle," she smiled. Emma noticed she was carrying some old book in her hand. The girl walked passed her and towards the bookshelf. "And you are?"

"Emma, Emma Swan," she said in a dazed confused tone. "I'm the sheriff."

"It's nice to meet you, Emma Swan the Sheriff." Belle giggled as she turned back from putting the books away.

"You, too. So, uh, where is Gold?" Emma asked the girl who looked only a couple of years younger than herself.

"Mr. Gold is in the back. He was finishing up on some things, but he'll be right out." Belle told her with another smile.

"I've never seen you around here before. Are you new to town?" Emma asked, thinking it was the 'sheriffy' thing to ask.

"No, I've lived here for as long as I remember. I just don't get out much." Belle told her. Emma made up her mind to ask around about this girl.

"Do you work for Mr. Gold?" Emma began to feel like she was interrogating Belle.

"Only recently," she answered. "I'm caretaker for his shop and house." Emma repressed a cringe. This poor girl must be desperate to agree to work for Mr. Gold.

"Look, Belle, if you really need a job, I can see if Granny has an opening at the diner." Emma offered. Even the nightshift at Granny's was better than being Gold's maid.

"Thank you, but I'm quite happy working for Mr. Gold." Belle smiled. Emma's jaw dropped in a dumbfounded manner. This girl didn't seem at all aware of how vile and conniving Mr. Gold was, but before she could say anything the man himself appeared.

"Ah, Sheriff Swan, I see you got my message." Gold smirked. He glanced over to where Belle was standing. "Belle, would you mind if the sheriff and I spoke in private." He asked softly. Emma was really confused and slightly creeped out by the way he looked at the young woman.

"Sure," she said with a smile as she headed to the back room. Before she disappeared from view, Emma caught Belle glancing back to where Gold stood. Now, Emma was really creeped out. This girl was young enough to be his daughter for crying out loud! Oh, she was going to dig into this. If he was somehow holding her against her will, she was going to take him down! Then the possibility that Belle wasn't being held against her will and actually enjoyed Mr. Gold's company flowed through Emma's mind. She fought through the desire to cringe again She turned her attention back to Mr. Gold, who was staring at her.

"Is there something the matter Ms. Swan?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: I don't know about you, but I feel Emma's answer will be quite blunt and to the point. Of course, she doesn't understand though, so we can't really blame her for getting creeped out... Ok maybe just a little bit. I know I'm not the only one on the Robert Carlyle band wagon here. Even if I was the only one, I would be perfectly fine with that ;) Hope you liked the chapter and I'd love to hear your thoughts about the story, the show, and what you think will happen!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Dearies! Your reviews continue to make me smile and I'm overjoyed that the story is to your liking :)Well, we've made it to June my dear Oncers, only a few more months of withdrawal to go. This wait has been maddening! I'm about to go crazy waiting for Season 2! Well, before I start ranting, here is chapter 13! **

**Chapter 13**

"Is there something the matter Ms. Swan?"

"Um, since when did you have caretakers?" Emma asked with one hand on her hip. Mr. Gold shrugged off her suspicious tone.

"I thought the shop could use some tidying up." Gold smirked. "The place was filthy."

"Is she under some kind of contract?" She demanded to know. If Belle was in any kind of trouble, Emma felt obligated to help her, since she was sheriff and all.

"No," he told her simply, "but even if we were, that would be none of your business. My contracts are confidential after all. As you probably remember."

"Yeah, I remember," Emma huffed as she thought back to Ashley Boyd and the fiasco that centered around her baby.

"Indeed," he turned to move around some items on display. "You still owe me that little favor, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Emma grimaced. Wanting to change the subject back to the girl, "So, who is she?" Emma watched him intently looking for any indication that he was hiding something.

"Just a young woman down on her luck and in need of work." Gold told her placidly. "So I offered her a job cleaning my shop and my house."

"Because naturally, people just come to you for help?" Emma raised her brow in skepticism. It seemed like that's what everyone in town did. Go to Gold for help instead of facing their problems themselves. But then again, Emma wasn't one to judge. That's why she was here, after all. "What's your spin here, Gold?"

"What? Can't I be charitable from time to time?" he asked.

"No," Emma said flatly. Gold smirked at her cheekiness. "Not unless there is some benefit to you."

"What benefit could I possibly get out of helping this poor girl?" He questioned.

"You tell me." Emma sneered. Gold gave a look of false hurt.

"I'm hurt," he gasped. "You would accuse me of taking advantage of someone like that. You saw her, does she act like someone being taken advantage of?"

"No," Emma admitted. "But I still want to hear you say so."

"I am not taking advantage of this young woman, nor to I intend to harm her in anyway." Gold stated holding one hand over his heart and the other in the air. Emma scrutinized every word and found it all to be true. He wasn't lying. "Scout's honor."

"Let's keep it that way," she added firmly.

"You think I'm some sort of monster, don't you?" He asked amused. Emma was at a loss for words. "Don't worry, you wouldn't be the first."

"Nor the last, I'm sure." Emma scoffed.

"Ms. Swan, I though you came her for my offer, not to interrogate me over my employee." Gold said.

"Yeah, that's another thing. Why the sudden change of heart?" Emma crossed her arms. "What made you decide to help me?"

"Let's just say, Regina has wronged me in quite a grievous way, and leave it at that. Any chance of spiting her is welcome." Gold smirked. "Now, about this case…"

"What do you mean she 'wronged you'?" Emma asked suspiciously, cutting him off.

"My, my, my, we sure are curious today, aren't we, Emma?" Gold quipped. "I thought the lawyer was supposed to ask the questions?"

"I never agreed to hire you," Emma snapped. "What's this new vendetta you have against Regina?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say it was anything 'new'. Regina and I have had our little feud for quite sometime." He said cryptically.

"Uh huh," Emma thought for a moment. Her doubts only grew as this new revelation came about. Gold didn't want to help her, he just wanted to get back at Regina for who-knows-what. Suddenly, Emma knew taking on Mr. Gold as her representation would end in an ugly mess. Plus, Archie gave her pretty substantial evidence that she didn't have a chance in court. Henry's life has been a mess ever since she came here.

"Look, Ms. Swan, my issues with Regina are beside the point. This is about you and your boy." Mr. Gold said to break the silence. "No parent should have to worry about whether or not they will be a part of their child's life."

"Not if Henry's at risk of being hurt, even if I'm the cause of it." Emma said defeated. Gold raised his brow.

"What are you saying?" Gold stepped closer as she leaned against a display case. He could see the wheels in her mind turning. This was not going the way he planned. Emma completely ignored Gold's presence as she continued to think about what she was going to do. Ever since she gave him up for adoption, it had all been about one thing: what was best for Henry.

"Maybe, he's better off if I left," she answered. No, this was not what Rumplestiltskin was expecting. Just then, Henry opened the door to the pawnshop. His bright face cut Emma to her heart.

"Hey, Emma!" he beamed. She quickly feigned a smile, but there were the signs of tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey kid," she answered. Henry looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shrugged as she hastily made her way to the door. "I've got to get back to the station." And with that she was halfway down the street before Henry knew what was going on. He turned to Rumplestiltskin, who was looking off in the other direction.

"What happened?" he asked. Mr. Gold ignored him. Gold's face was turned and his eyes were gazing off into the distance as if he was elsewhere. Henry watched him intently, until the man focused back on the here and now. Henry nudged him on the arm. "Rumplestiltskin?"

"Did you feel that?" Gold said, looking at Henry with wild eyes. Henry looked around.

"Feel what?" Henry watched as Rumplestiltskin walked around the room and looking around to see things that weren't there. The imp looked back at the boy.

"Magic," he smiled his impish grin. "Did you feel it spike in the air?"

"I thought there wasn't any magic here," Henry said sheepishly.

"Yes, yes, that's how it is supposed to be. It's not supposed to be here, but I felt it." He said. His eyes turned to madness. Rumplestiltskin burrowed his gaze into Henry's skull. "Where is Regina?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Soooo? What did you think? Poor Henry hasn't got a clue about what's going on. But luckily for us, he's a smart kid and catches on quickly. As for Regina... What evil is she up to? Review! Review! Review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Oh Oncers! My brain is exploding with ideas! The muse spoke while I was out with my friends, and they all looked at me like I was a loon when I started scribbling away on napkins. But I didn't want to lose my train of thought! You all have been amazing with your reviews! I love reading them! Well, I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

Dark magic leaves a mark like a void in those daring enough to grasps its uncontainable nature. For Rumplestiltskin, he had been the embodiment of dark magic in the old world for countless years; it came as no shock that he would feel the out-of-place energy in this world. While he knew Regina had managed to bring a little magic to the new world, he had not expected the bitter taste it left on his lips to be so intense. This was not ordinary dark magic; it was not conjured in the way he was used to. There was something strange and foreign about it. The queen had brought something wicked and sinister back from their world of fantasy. And he was going to find out what. The surge was small, but powerful. Magic was the most seductive and addictive sensation to fill his being. And oh, how he had missed it!

"Mr. Gold?" He opened his eyes and turned to see Belle poking her head out from the back room. Suddenly, his power-hungry mindset wobbled on its axis as he found her eyes. His heart and his mind conflicted with each other the same as they had so many years ago. What did he desired more: True Love or the Darkness? "Is everything alright? I thought I heard shouting."

"Yes, yes, my dear, everything is fine." He answered. Gold needed to go and find Regina to see what malicious deed she was up to, but at the same time he knew he could not leave Belle defenseless at the shop or his home. Quickly he came up with a plan.

"Henry, I believe it's time you held up your end of our little deal."

* * *

"Trust me, she won't mind." Henry told Belle as they ascended the steps to Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment.

"Why did Mr. Gold want you to take me here?" She asked.

"Probably because he knew you'd be safer here. My mom kicks butt _and_ she's the sheriff." He smiled brightly. Belle couldn't help but smile too.

"Yes, I met her briefly today." She told him. "And who is this Mary Margaret, again?"

"She's my teacher, but her and Emma share an apartment. She's the coolest teacher ever." He stated. "So you met my mom while she was at the shop today?"

"Yes, but I don't think she likes Mr. Gold very much. She seemed kind of shocked when I told her that I liked working for him."

"She just doesn't understand." He assured her.

"Understand what?"

"That he's your… uh, come on why are you slowing down?" Henry quickly ran up the next flight of stairs. He was relieved that he had caught himself before uttering the words 'true love'. Belle could tell he was dodging her question, but didn't press him further. She had a feeling that he'd tell her sooner or later. Instead, she allowed the subject to change.

"So Emma's your real mother, but put you up for adoption and Regina is the woman who adopted you?" Belle asked trying to keep up with Henry's interesting family dynamic as their pace slowed.

"That's the short version," he smiled. "I don't think you're ready for the whole story, yet. Plus, Mr. Gold might strangle me if I was the one to tell you."

"What do you mean?" Belle stopped walking and looked up at Henry with confused eyes.

"I think he wants you to figure it out yourself." Henry held out a hand to her and they continued up the stairs. But not in silence.

"What did you mean, back at the shop, when you said you'd bring me here, but only if Mr. Gold protected Emma? Is she in some sort of trouble?" Belle looked down at the boy.

"Well, Regina doesn't exactly like Emma. I'm pretty sure she's planning to get her to leave Storybrooke somehow." He shrugged as they neared the landing. "but that'll never happen. Emma's too stubborn to back away from a fight."

"Why don't they just talk out their differences?" Belle suggested. Henry knocked on the door.

"Because the Evil Queen would rather rip away everyone's happy ending than talk it over." He said automatically without thinking.

"Evil Queen?" Belle's brows creased as she caught Henry's words. His eyes grew as he realized what had escaped his mouth.

"Oops," he peeped. But before either could speak again, the apartment door open to reveal Mary Margaret.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" She smiled cheerfully, and then she caught sight of the young woman with him. "Who's this?"

* * *

No sooner had Regina begun to put the apple slices in the dough of her turnover did the doorbell ring. It was odd, since she hadn't even called Emma to come over yet. She dusted the flour off of her hands and onto her apron. The doorbell rang again. Regina huffed at Ms. Swan's impatience. However, her smirk fell when she opened the door.

"Not who you were expecting?" Gold sneered. Regina looked like she was about to shut the door in his face. "Please, invite me in."

The venom in her eyes was enough to kill a weaker man, but this was Rumplestiltskin she was dealing with. She opened the door wider and allowed him to enter. She grit her teeth together as she said, "Do come in."

"Why thank you, Your Majesty." Gold walked into the front room as she closed the door with more force than was necessary.

"What do you want?" she hissed. But Gold merely smiled.

"Been baking have we?" He remarked to her apron.

"Yes, but that didn't answer my question." Regina glared at him. Gold dropped his smirk to a scowl.

"I'll be the one asking questions here." He told her. "What did you do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She huffed as she walked passed him towards the kitchen. Gold caught her arm and spun her back around.

"Oh, I think you do, Dearie. And if you value your well being, I would suggest that you tell me the truth," Gold roared, before adding a softer, more taunting, "please."

Regina's glare could have caused a lesser man to shrivel up in fear. She hated that word, hated him, above all things right now. She pulled her arm out of his grasp and straightened her self before answering.

"I found the solution to my Emma problem." She told him confidently.

"What solution? I thought you were waiting for the custody battle?" Gold was confused.

"I was, but I bumped into Dr. Hopper today. He may have let slip that there isn't going to be any custody battle." She smirked.

"You seem awfully happy about that." Gold raised his brow.

"Well, I wasn't. That is, until a little birdy told me that Emma is planning on skipping town." Regina beamed in the most twisted way imaginable.

"A little birdy told you? I thought your little mirror was locked away?"

"Sidney isn't my only spy, Rumple." Regina grinned. "But as to this solution I have, if you will follow me."

Gold followed the Evil Queen into the kitchen where he saw all of the makings of some sort of pastry. Regina resumed folding the dough over the chopped apples. Her smile said it all.

"A poisoned apple? How original." He huffed. He walked around to the other side of the table. To imagine, all that darkness he had felt earlier had all been because of piece of fruit. Disguised as innocence, it held in it one of the most evil of curses.

"It worked like a charm on her mother," Regina said as she placed the raw pastry in the oven.

"And look how well executed that plan went." Rumplestiltskin reminded her. Regina shot him a look. "What I'm curious about is how?"

"I sacrificed what little magic I had to bring it here." She told him.

"Ah, you made magic _from_ magic," he sighed. That would explain why it felt so different and strange. Magic had twisted and contorted until it had transformed into just enough energy to allow the Hatter's little parlor trick to work.

"So is that all that you wanted? Because it just so happens, I'm expecting company soon." Regina dusted her hands off again onto the apron before resting them on her hips.

"Oh, yes there is one more thing and I'm going to need you to listen and not interrupt,_ please_." He emphasized the last word just to agitate her further. "Seeing as there will be no custody battle for Ms. Swan to lose on my account, I don't see the point of this lovely deal between us. Yes, I know that you've already to instructed me to hide the sheriff's body after the falls under your spell. However, let that be the extent of our deal. Now, if you would be so kind as to not ask anymore of me concerning this blind deal…. Please."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Soooooo, I always feel giddy when Mr. Gold says PLEASE! :) I think of it as a slap to Regina's face every time he says it! So naturally, I added a few hither and thither! Let me know what's running through your mind! Review! :) **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: May I just start by saying, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Without you, none of this would matter! Your reviews are amazing and I love hearing from you all! Every time I get an email about a review, I'm always so excited to read it! So thank you for being awesome! Anywho... I give untie you (drumroll) CHAPTER 15!**

**Chapter 15**

"So, Belle," Mary Margaret smiled as she welcomed the young woman into the apartment, "can I interest you in some hot chocolate?"

"Um, I've never had that before." She blushed. Mary Margaret had never heard of such a thing. Never had hot chocolate? Henry, who was already in the kitchen fixing himself a mug of the delicious warm creamy mixture, gave a little laugh.

"You're gonna love it!" he beamed as the two women walked over to where he was. Henry looked around the quiet apartment and then to Mary Margaret. "Hey, where's Emma?"

"She's still at the station. She called earlier saying she'd probably be late. Also, your book is in the bedroom." Mary Margaret explained

"Book?" Belle asked excitedly. Henry walked back to the bedroom and retrieved it. He set it down in front of Belle.

"You can read it, if you want." He grinned. Belle traced her hand over the leather bound book with fondness.

"Thank you," she said as Mary Margaret pulled two more mugs from the cabinet for herself and Belle. Belle set the book aside for a moment to watched with great interest and delight as Mary Margaret poured the sweet smelling liquid into the cups, then added a dollop of whip crème on top. She placed a stick of cinnamon in one before looking up to Belle.

"Would you like cinnamon in yours?"

Belle looked between Mary Margaret and Henry, who was nodding and giving her a "thumbs up" sign. "Uh, sure, why not?"

"Careful, it's hot." Mary Margaret warned. Belle blew on it before taking a sip. Her eyes brightened at the sweetness of the chocolate as is danced on her taste buds. The hint of cinnamon added an extra zest as she to the already divine infusion of chocolaty and milky goodness.

"This is wonderful!" Belle laughed with delight.

"I'm glad you like it," Mary Margaret grinned. She, then, moved her eyes to Henry. "So, what brings you two by, Henry?"

"Well, long story short: Belle works for Mr. Gold and he asked me to bring her here while he went to talk to my mom," he said between sips.

"You work for Mr. Gold?" Mary Margaret asked. "Huh, I never new he had employees."

"I'm his housekeeper, but I help at the shop, too." Belle explained. Mary Margaret was both surprised and confused. Mr. Gold always seemed to be a scrooge. Even if he did hire a housekeeper, she would not have expected someone so cheerful and full of light as Belle. While in her thoughts, she caught Henry moving in her peripheral vision. She and Belle both looked over at him as he placed his empty mug in the sink and hopped off the stool he had been occupying.

"Ms. Blanchard, is it alright if Belle stays here until I get back?" he asked backing away to the door.

"Of course, but where are you going?" Mary Margaret asked in return.

"I have to go do something," Henry said as innocently as possible. Well, he couldn't exactly say that he was going to talk to August about how to make Emma believe in the curse. August had said he was here to help her, but she still didn't believe. Henry felt like they needed to regroup and rethink how to make her see. And it needed to be soon, especially since she nearly abducted him the other night.

"Henry," she used her strict teacher voice.

"I promise I won't be long. Belle just needs a place to stay for a while, its just until I get back." He begged. For some reason, she could never refuse this boy. Must have been the puppy eyes he always used.

"Just don't get into any trouble," she warned. With that, Henry was waving goodbye to the both of them. As the door closed, Mary Margaret turned back to her guest and gave her a smile. "Such an odd little boy."

"Yes, I bet he's a handful." Belle smiled. Mary Margaret joined her at the table.

"You have no idea," she sighed. They both looked at each other and laughed. "So, Belle, I don't think I've seen you around town."

"No, I never got out much before now." Belle told her as she took another sip of hot chocolate. Mary Margaret looked a little puzzled.

"Oh, so when did you start working for Mr. Gold?" she asked as she took a sip of her own mug of hot chocolate.

"Today was my first day," Belle smiled. She wasn't sure why everyone found her employment so odd. "He's been very kind to me. I had nothing and no one, and he opened his home and offered me a job."

"Wait a second," Mary Margaret looked really shocked now. "You live with him, too?"

"Yes," she answered naturally. But her face dropped and Mary Margaret could tell that she was nervous. "Why? Is that wrong?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Mary Margaret was not sure what to say. "It's just he never seemed like the type of person who would take people in off the streets."

"I don't know why, but he's the first person that's actually seemed to care about what happens to me." Belle told her.

"So you have no family?"

"My father shunned me, and I don't know why," Belle sighed mournfully. Mary Margaret's heart started to break as Belle told her story. She began with her time being held at the asylum for no apparent reason, and the misery she experienced there alone in the dark. Then, she told about how Mr. Gold saved her from the lonely oblivion that had become her life. Belle told about him allowing him to stay with him as his caretaker.

"And we just stayed up in the library talking." She finished. Mary Margaret wasn't sure how to respond to such a tale. From her brief affiliation with Mr. Gold, not to mention the reputation he had, she found it hard to fathom him having much of a soft side. The man Belle described sounded like a different person entirely. Mr. Gold was a cold, unfeeling, devious man, but Belle depicted him as kind, gentle, and caring.

"So, you feel like you owe him for saving you from the asylum?" Mary Margaret finally asked. "Like you're obligated somehow?"

"Well yes and no," Belle told her. "There's no way I could repay him for what he's done. However, I don't think he wants me to feel obligated. He's just been," Belle sighed trying to think of a way to define him, "I don't know how to explain it."

"Explain what?" Mary Margaret's ears perked.

"This is going to sound odd, but I feel like he and I met before, but that's impossible. He knows how I like my tea, what books I would like, and he teases me constantly. I feel like we've known each other forever." Belle couldn't help but smile at the thought of Mr. Gold. Mary Margaret, on the other hand, could not believe what she was hearing. This woman sounded like a lovesick teenage girl. And out of all the people in Storybrooke, she was attracted to Mr. Gold!

* * *

Meanwhile, Henry raced his bike down the sidewalk to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. He had told Ms. Blanchard that he wouldn't take long, so he wasted no time in hoping off his bike and running up the stairs and around the corner to August's room. He hastily knocked on the door.

"Hang on," he heard August's voice from beyond the door. Henry knocked again.

"August, it's me!" Henry called just before the door opened. Without being invited, he rushed into the room. "You won't believe what's happened!"

"What is it?" August sounded alarmed.

"You know in my book, where the Evil Queen told Rumplestiltskin that Belle was dead, but was really keeping her prisoner?" Henry rapidly asked. August creased his brows, unsure what this was all about. He gave Henry a nod to continue. "Well, she's here! In Storybrooke! My mom made a deal with Mr. Gold to release her if he entered a blind deal with her!"

August merely stood there staring in disbelief. Henry waited for an answer, but it didn't look like he was going to get one. There was another moment of quiet, before August finally spoke.

"So, what does this mean, Henry?"

"What?" Henry was baffled by this response.

"What does this mean for you or Emma if Rumplestiltskin made a deal with the Queen?" August clarified.

"Well, it means that…" Henry began, but could think of what else to say. "…that, we, could…"

"Henry, it doesn't change anything." August limped over to his bed and sat on the edge.

"What happened to you? I thought you wanted the curse to be broken?" Henry asked.

"Trust me," August smiled, "I want the curse to be broken more than anything. But what you just told me isn't going to break it or make Emma believe."

"Then you make her believe!" Henry pleaded. He realized that he was running out of options. "She's thinking about leaving."

"I've tried Henry, I really have, but she doesn't want to believe. See?" August held up his arm and pulled down his sleeve to reveal and arm entirely made of wood. Henry's eyes grew wide with amazement.

"You're Pinocchio!" he marveled. August smiled at the boy.

"You're a smart kid, Henry, but I'm afraid that I can't help you anymore. I'm changing back, and unless the curse is broken, this," he held up his arm again, "won't stop."

"But why?" Henry's wonder turned to sadness.

"I haven't exactly been a good boy," he chuckled at the dark humor. "So it's up to you to make her believe. You have to show her the truth."

"But how? I've tried before and it didn't work." The boy explained. August knelt down in front of him.

"I told you, Henry, you're a smart kid. You'll figure it out. You must," August pleaded now, "for all our sakes."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: The weight of the fairytale world now rests on Henry's shoulders! I don't know about you, but I have a feeling he can handle this, no problem ;) And what about Belle telling all to Mary Margaret? Hmmmmm, I wonder what will happen there... And what if Emma finds out? Oh dearie, what a mess that would be...**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Oh my dearies! I need your help! I'm trying to make a playlist to listen to while writing this story, some of which may pop up here and there throughout the rest of the story. (Not like a song fic, more of a cameo kind of thing) So give me some of your favorite Rumbelle themed songs :) Anything and everything is appreciated! Now, to this latest update. More Mary Margaret and Belle chitter chatter! I love these two together, I have a feeling they're going to be besties soon(ish). I just feel like they get along so well, but enough of me going on about all that. You came to read and it is my pleasure to give you Chapter 16! (Also, I'm going to apologize in advace to any grammar mistakes you may see. It's been a very looooong day.)**

**Chapter 16**

"You've made quite a dent in that book," Mary Margaret remarked as she returned from grading some papers. She couldn't have been gone for more than an hour, two at the very most, and Belle had read a little over half of Henry's storybook. Belle distractedly looked up from where she sat on the couch and noticed that she was being spoken to.

"Oh," she sighed as she glanced down at the book in her lap. "Yes, it appears that I have." Mary Margaret's lips turned up in the contentment Belle found in the book. She took Belle's empty mug to the sink and washed it.

"Any good?" She asked.

"Yes, but…" she trailed off.

"But, what?" Mary Margaret asked as she dried her hands and joined Belle back in the living room.

"I think I know this story." Belle told her sheepishly. She then turned the book around to let her see. Mary Margaret merely shrugged.

"Beauty and the Beast," she paused. "I think I have the movie here somewhere. With the dancing candlestick and clock! Oh, it's one of my favorites!" Mary Margaret looked over her shoulder to another shelf under the TV.

"No, no, I mean," Belle brought the attention back to the book, "this one." Mary Margaret turned to see the picture of the princess in a beautiful golden gown being escorted out the castle doors by an imp of a man with scaly skin and wild eyes.

"They're fairytales, Belle. We all hear them at least once as children. I've heard that one so many times, I could tell you al the different versions of it from Grimm to Disney." Mary Margaret explained. Belle looked back down to the crisp pages of the leather bound book. Her expression was a mixture of misunderstanding, frustration, and something faintly resembling reminiscing.

"Perhaps, you are right," Belle sighed as she returned her eyes to the words on the page with far less vigor than when Mary Margaret had entered the room.

Mary Margaret walked over to the window and looked out into the street. Her eyes were searching the dark avenue below the apartment. She did so every few minutes like clockwork. Belle marked her place just as the princess was about to return home after being banished by the imp, and she looked up to see worry on Mary Margaret's face. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh?" Mary Margaret looked up from the window. "It's Henry. He said he wouldn't take long, but it's been," she looked at her watch and her eyes grew wide, "two and a half hours."

"You worry about him as if he were your own," Belle observed. Mary Margaret looked up for a moment.

"He's my best friend's son, and one of my students. It's only natural to be worried." She answered as she began twisting her ring around on her finger.

"Henry is a very smart, very brave, boy and I'm certain that he is alright," Belle gave her a reassuring smile. "You are just worrying yourself."

"Well, he did steal my credit card and traveled all the way to Boston to find Emma," she admitted, more to herself than to Belle, who was not given further information on the topic. "I suppose you're right. I'm just worrying myself." Reluctantly, she left the window and searched for some distraction. "Do you want some music while you read?" she asked as she pulled out a small box from one of the shelves. Belle looked around confused.

"How? There is no band," the girl turned her head. The other woman had forgotten that her guest had been held captive for the last who-knew-how-many years.

"No, Belle," she held up the small box for Belle to see. "It's a radio."

"Huh, I believe I've read something about radios. When the nurses couldn't find any books lying around, they would give me instruction manuals." Belle told her. Mary Margaret didn't know whether to laugh or cry at such a statement. "I remember one was about radios."

"Oh, well, here's how it works," she turned a nob and a soft melody hummed through the speakers.

"_I don't know you, but I want to all the more for that. Words fall through me and always fool me. And I can't react."_

"Is this good?" Mary Margaret asked. "Or do you want me to change the station?"

"No, this is lovely," Belle answered as she dove back into the book. Before she could get far, a knock cam on the door. Both women looked up and then at each other.

"Henry?" Mary Margaret hurried to the door. When she opened the deadbolt August had made and swung the door open, her hopeful smile disappeared into a disappointed frown.

"Oh, Mr. Gold," she said to the man at the door. Belle's ears perked and she shut the book. "Emma isn't here."

"I'm not here for Sheriff Swan, Ms. Blanchard," he said as cordial as she had known him to be. "I'm here for Belle. Henry said he would bring her here until I was done with some business that had to be attended to." Mary Margaret turned to call for Belle, but found that she was already off the couch and walking, at a brisk pace, to where she stood at the door.

Mary Margaret caught the glint in Gold's eye as Belle came into sight. She had expected to find something dangerous and threatening, but instead saw a sense of protectiveness and care. Belle joined him without a word, but a gentle smile graced her features. Mary Margaret was left almost dumbstruck at how affable they looked when in one another's company. However, she was not about to poke her nose into other people's lives, especially, the life of the dark Mr. Gold.

"I hope it didn't inconvenience you?" Gold asked.

"No, not at all," she was forced to stop her gawking and respond. "Henry explained that she needed a place to stay for a couple of hours."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Gold inquired as he raised his brow.

"I sent him home," she lied. Mr. Gold had no right to have Henry run errands for him. She didn't want the boy to fall into any of the man's schemes. "It was getting late and I didn't want Regina to worry about where he was."

"Ah, indeed." He curled one side of his mouth into a smirk. "Well, goodnight, Ms. Blanchard. Belle?" He offered to lead her out. Belle turned back with a bright smile to Mary Margaret.

"Thank you, Mary Margaret, for everything," she hugged the petite dark haired woman.

"It was nothing, really." Mary Margaret told her, accepting the embrace.

"I do hope this makes us friends." Belle said as they separated.

"Yes," Mary Margaret replied with a small grin, "I think it does."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: Yep, Mary Margaret is still confused and unsure about Belle and Mr. Gold, but thank goodness she isn't quite as blunt as Emma! Not to mention, from what dear Belle has told her, Mr. Gold isn't as heartless as he always seems. Still slightly creeped out, but much more accepting that it is none of her business. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Dearies! You have been so helpful with your music suggestions! I've had so much fun listening and watching fanvids! Big THANK YOU to Chibi Tsuki Hikari for one of the most amazing list of songs! I especially liked Wonderland. But enough about music... All I can say is things are heating up in Storybrooke, in more ways than one... ENJOY!**

**Chapter 17**

"I see you and Ms. Blanchard have become close." Mr. Gold said as the door closed behind Belle. She nodded as she put on her coat over her dainty blouse. Mr. Gold took in the sight of Belle as he led her down the many flights of stairs in silence. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, but still allowed to flow free behind her shoulders. She looked beautiful in her new clothes, but the colors of the garments seemed drained by the expression she wore. Belle's face looked melancholy, as if she were concealing some sad secret inside. He could sense that something was troubling her. He stopped as they reached the door leading outside of the apartment complex. "What is worrying you, my dear?"

"Why?" she asked simply with begging eyes. Gold had no idea what she meant by such a question.

"Why, what?"

"Why me?" she looked at him expectantly. He could only make a puzzled face and wait for her to elaborate. "I can see from the way others act around you, that you don't really get along with people. Even Mary Margaret seemed surprised by your kindness to me."

Gold was caught unawares. "What are you talking about, my dear?"

"Why do you act differently around me? You are nothing but kind an generous to me." She finally asked. "What makes me special?" Gold stared at her for a moment in utter bafflement. Thoughts clashed in his mind as to what was going on around him. His Belle was asking why he cared about her and no other. But no, this wasn't his Belle. This was only the vessel of the woman he loved. His Belle was still trapped inside by a curse he had designed and was unable to break. What irony this was. He could not help but feel so unworthy of her, even this fragment of her.

"I… uh," he stuttered. After clearing his throat, "You are unlike anyone else in this place. You are unlike anyone I have ever met." She was silently waiting for him to continue, but instead, "There is so much that makes you special."

"Oh," she sighed. "I… just…" she bit her lip debating on whether or not to tell him and her eyes fell to floor. Gold's eyes searched for the reason she was being so distant. He gently lifted her face to look back up. She still did not meet his gaze until he cupped her face with his hand.

"Belle," he breathed, imploring her to speak. Their eyes were met in a trapping stare. Before he could continue, Rumplestiltskin was shocked and stunned to feel her lips upon his own. She had kissed him with the same softness as she had in the Dark Castle. But despite how soft and sweet a kiss it was, it made his lips burn with the fiery sparks of a phoenix flame. Rumplestiltskin could not fight against the need to kiss her. This may not be his Belle, but he was going to see to it that she soon would be. He felt his heart race and his eyes close as his hands drew her in. She, too, wrapped her arms about him as he returned with wild ferocity.

She did not know why she felt so hungry for this man she had only just met a couple of days ago, but there was something deep in her heart that told her this was right. It was something that made her heart pound so hard that she felt it would burst out of her chest entirely. His hands entwined in her hair as her hands moved to cling to his jacket. Her head spun as their lips danced together in a cosmic wave of endless emotions that she could not understand. Her mind was racing with thoughts and memories she tried to grasp at.

Rumplestiltskin felt himself becoming lost in her utter goodness. There were glimpses of his Belle here and there with every passing moment. With every incline of the head, with every suck of her lips, with every caress of her under his hands he could sense his Belle near, jumping to the surface, trying to break through. He could feel the bonds of the curse straining against the kiss. Slowly, they began breaking one by one. He felt as it began cracking under the passion that rose in the both of them. It was magic in its simplest form, yet it was by far the most powerful in any world. The prison of the curse was beginning to show signs of crumbling, and all he had to do was kiss her. He reached for his Belle as she desperately reached for him across the void of darkness.

"What the hell is this?" came an angered voice. Rumplestiltskin felt his Belle fall away as his lips were abandoned by her soft kiss. His world shattered as he was forced to enter back into the world where magic did not exist, but in stories. His Belle was still trapped within a tomb of forgotten memories.

Hesitantly, Belle and Gold released each other to turn to see Emma in the doorway of the apartment complex. Her face looked horrified and disgusted. One hand was on her hip, the other was holding a Tupperware box containing an apple turnover Rumplestiltskin's anger thundered up inside of him like a raging torrent.

"I don't think that is any of your business, Sheriff." He hissed. Emma glared at him.

"Well, I'm making it my business." She retorted with equal venom. "Belle?" Gold gently pushed the girl behind him and answered for her.

"Ms. French is perfectly fine," he stated defensively.

"Emma, please. Everything is alright. There's nothing to worry about." Belle peeped, but her words fell on deaf ears. Emma's eyes grew wide as she finally comprehended Gold's words.

"French? Did you say her name was French?" She asked as her anger rose. "As in Moe French?"

"Don't!" Gold bellowed in an animalistic growl. Belle shank further behind Gold, as Emma jumped slightly at the savagery in his voice. "Don't you dare think has anything to do with her father!"

"Father?" Emma repeated. She took a step forward. "She's Moe's daughter?"

"Sheriff, if you know what is good for you, you will leave it be and get out of our way." Gold threatened. Emma looked from Gold to Belle, who clung to his shoulder.

"She doesn't know, does she?" Emma asked, the venom in her voice was replaced by revulsion. "She doesn't know what you did to her father."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: AHHH! Ok, I know you really want to kick Emma in the face, but you got to understand her point of view here. I know, I know, it couldn't have been at a more inconvenient time and I'm sorry... guys? Um, why do you have torches? And pitchforks? *Backs away slowly* Oh, and by the way... I won't be posting for the next 3 weeks due to me traveling to far corners of the earth, where the internet does not exist. So maybe that will give you enough time to cool off from Emma and I ruining Belle and Rumple's kiss... Maybe? Please forgive me! *Runs away from angry mob***


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Put the pitchforks and torches down! I'm baaaaaaaaaack! Oh my Dearies, how I have missed you! 3 weeks is far too long to be away from FF. I'll try to never be absent for that long ever again. Now I know that I left at a rather inconvenient time, but I can fix it. I promise. However, there are some bumps on the road to recovery. For now, here is a quick snippet. So sit back and relax as I present you with CHAPTER 18!**

**Chapter 18**

"Don't!" bellowed a desperate Mr. Gold. His booming voice made both Emma and Belle jump. Emma steeled herself quickly and glared at him.

"Doesn't she deserve to know the truth?" hissed the sheriff.

"You know nothing about the truth!" Gold spat.

"Stop this!" came a shout that stunned both Gold and Emma. Belle circled away from where Gold was shielding her until she could see both Emma's and Gold's faces. "This isn't doing anyone any good!"

"Belle," Mr. Gold's features softened as he saw his strong Belle glimpse through the shroud. "This isn't your battle. You should go back to the house."

"Hold on!" Emma stepped in front of door, blocking any escape. "Not until she knows."

"Knows what?" she asked as her eyes darted between the pair. Emma looked expectantly to Gold. He hesitated as he looked to Belle and then to the floor. Emma fumed as she realized that he was going to remain silent.

"You're more twisted than I thought," Emma spat. Before Mr. Gold could stop the impotent self-righteous sheriff, Emma spoke the damning words. "He nearly killed you father."

Gold's heart stopped and a lump lodged itself in his throat as Belle turned to meet his gaze. The hurt and shock in her face was enough to kill him. She didn't speak at first. No one spoke as she just stared at him and she broke inside.

"What?" Belle finally breathed in disbelief. She may not have wanted to see her father, but he was still her father, and it appeared that Belle's compassionate and loyal heart had not been altered by the curse. Gold knew there wasn't a world where Belle didn't love her father.

"He nearly clubbed him to death over a bit of common thievery." Emma explained. Belle's eyes showed her confusion and utter agony.

"Belle," he managed to choke out as he raised a hand to touch her face. She retracted from him, much like she had when with Dr. Whale. His heart continued to shatter as he saw tears filling her eyes. He softly begged her, "please."

"My Papa," she softly sobbed. "How could you do such a thing?" She began to back towards Emma.

"Belle, let me expl…" He began, but she cut him short.

"Please," she begged. "Just go." Her voice was broken and she turned her eyes to look at anything but him. Rumplestiltskin's heart ached with every beat. His whole world began to shatter around him. The kiss he and Belle shared now felt like a distant memory as his happiness fell to the floor and broke into millions of pieces.

"As you wish," he managed to say in a clear voice. He straightened himself and made his way to the door. Emma placed a hand on Belle's shoulder as he crossed their paths. He did not look up to her for more than a second before stepping out the door and leaving. He could not bear the hurt he had caused on her face.

How could this happen? He was so close to having his Belle back. So close to having happiness, to having love. And just like that, it was gone. She would hate him forever, and maybe it was better that way. Maybe she would be better off without him in her life. He was a cursed man after all.

Back in the apartment complex, Belle stood in silence. The emotions racing through her heart were far too vast and deep for her to rightly comprehend. Why did she feel like the world was ending? At first she thought this feeling was for her poor father. However, as she saw the door close behind the miserable man, she knew it was for him that her heart felt like it was ripping in two. Why was her heart broking for a man she barley knew?

Emma led Belle back up to the apartment without a word being spoken between them. Mary Margaret was both surprised and worried to see Emma and Belle. Her anxiety grew when she saw the tears running down Belle's face.

"What happened?" the teacher asked as Belle was led to sit on the couch.

"I told her the truth about Gold," Emma told her with bitterness still hanging on her tongue.

"What?" Mary Margaret asked in a hushed voice when she noticed the distress the name of a certain pawnbroker caused Belle. The two walked over to the kitchen, where Emma placed the apple turnover on the counter.

"I walked in and they were making out in the lobby!" said quietly. Mary Margaret's eyes grew wide. "I had to break it up."

"Emma, why would you destroy what little happiness that poor girl found?" Mary Margaret said to Emma surprise.

"Excuse me?" asked the sheriff thinking she misheard her friend.

"You heard me. I think they may have been in love." Mary Margaret told her as she looked over to a weeping Belle. "Why would you ruin that?"

"Are you hearing yourself?" Emma burst. "This is Mr. Gold we're talking about. He's nothing more than a conniving, dirty snake. How in the world could that monster know what love is? That sweet girl deserves better."

"That's not for you to decide, Emma. Everyone deserves some kind of happiness in this messed up world." Mary Margaret told her as she made her way over to Belle. She crouched down in front of her friend.

"Belle, is there anything I can do for you? Get you? Take you?" she asked the girl, whose sobs began to slow. Belle looked up with her watery red eyes and gave a slight nod.

Moe French had just settled down for the night when his doorbell rang. He pulled on his robe and reached for his cane, which he was now required to walk with. He cursed under his breath as he wondered who in their right mind could possibly visit him at this time of night. His house was small and meek, but it suited him as an old man living by himself. The doorbell rang again and was followed by a rat-a-tat-tat upon the door. He rounded the corner and called out.

"Who is it?" Moe reached out to unlock the door, but his hand froze as a small familiar voice answered on the other side.

"Papa?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: So a daddy/daughter reunion is in route! How are Moe and Belle going to be after their last encounter? Let me know what you think! R&R Please!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello again Dearies! Oh how things are about to take off! I'm so excited! And it all starts with a warm fuzzy slightly awkward family reunion. I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter19**

Belle had begged Mary Margaret to stay in the car, that she would be fine. But after Mary Margaret got an urgent phone call from Emma, Belle implored her to go. And so she walked up alone towards a house she had no memory of ever living in. She looked behind her in the dead of night to see no one was around. She was completely alone as she walked up to her father's house. It had to be well past midnight, maybe he was asleep. For several minutes she merely stood looking at the door. Why had she been so adamant on coming to see a man who had casted her aside? But surely there had been a time when he loved her? Why else would she have been so heartbroken to find out that he had been hurt? She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. When nothing happened she knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came a voice.

"Papa?" she called lightly.

The door opened and eyes met. For the first time in the 28 years in Storybrooke, Belle and Moe French stood face to face. Father and daughter were staring at one another like perfect strangers, but only for a second.

There was a light now flashing brightly after so many years spent in the dark. All the years of shadow were now illuminated by one encounter. Memories flooded back from the world of old. The world of magic and fairytales was now remembered. They raced back from a time forgotten by all in this dismal land without magic. Kings and Queens, magic and curses danced across the catacombs of the mind. A village's fate rested in the hands of a brave young woman. A deal was struck and she was gone, taken by a beast. The whole of the story was once again playing through them memory of one, who had forgotten it. The painful last encounter of father and daughter was once again played in the mind's eye. The hurt and utter regret felt renewed as the castle doors closed behind her all over again. The countless months spent trying to find that which was lost. An effort that was squashed by a woman in black. All of the scattered pieces of a forgotten life now fell back into place as father and daughter were reunited.

"Belle!" Maurice gasped. Tears weld up in his old eyes as he reached out to touch her face. She instinctively shied away. "My dear Belle, what have I done?"

Belle was not sure what he meant, but didn't have time to think before he pulled her into an embrace and began weeping.

"Oh my girl, I thought I'd never see you again. I… should have… never sent you away! I was wrong, so… so utterly wrong! Could you… ever… forgive your… heartless fath…er?" Maurice begged between sobs. Belle's eyes now began to water. She heard the desperation in his voice. She could sense the remorse he carried for what ever wrong he had committed against her.

"I forgive you," she choked on her words as she too began to be overcome with emotion. Her arms wrapped around her father. It was then she realized how much she missed her him. There was something so warm in his embrace that she had never felt before, but it felt so familiar. After a few more moments, Maurice broke the embrace to look at his daughter.

"Come, my dear, come inside and I shall make a hot cup of tea," he said. It was only a few minutes later that they were sitting in the small cramped living room with their teacups. "Belle, do you remember?"

"Remember what?" she asked. Maurice's hopeful eyes drooped at her response.

"Anything, anything at all?" Maurice implored. Belle sat her tea down and stared at the floor for a moment or two. The silence was deafening, until she finally spoke.

"I remember you," she said simply. Maurice's face lit up. "But this house."

"Good, good! What else?"

"I was coming home, but not in Storybrooke. You were surprised to see me, like you had never expected to see me again. I was sad, and you asked me what was wrong." She told him. Maurice's stomach twisted into knots as he remembered the day of which Belle spoke. "I don't remember what I said, but you weren't happy about it. You sent me away, Papa."

The heartbreak in her voice reflected that of which was in Maurice's soul. That day had haunted him everyday up until the curse. He rose from his chair with difficulty and limped over to sit beside his daughter on the couch.

"My dearest, sweetest Belle," Maurice began. "There is no excuse for my behavior, but know this. I regret that day with every fiber of my being. It was only after you had gone that I realized my foolishness."

"What did I say to upset you so much?" Belle asked. Maurice looked shamefully at the floor.

"That you were in love." He told her. "You said that it was true love, but his thirst for power had twisted his mind. You begged me to go with you back to convince him otherwise. But I could not picture that life for you. Not with a man I doubted even knew what love was. I forbade it and ordered you to your chambers. You gave me an ultimatum. Help you or let you go. I looked at my sweet Belle and cast you out of my household." Maurice buried his head in his hands. Belle reached out and touched his shoulder. "I sent hundreds of search parties out to find you. Hundreds! I spent years trying to find you, but you were nowhere to be found."

"Because Regina took me." Belle told him. "And locked me up."

"Yes, I had gone to her for help, but she told me the only thing that kept me from looking for you." Maurice tried to hold back his tears.

"What?" Belle asked. "What did she tell you?"

"That you had gone back to that beast's castle and been killed. That he had never loved you, and only delighted in your anguish. And in some twisted sense of pity, took you out of your misery. I believed her every word."

"Huh?" Belle managed to say through her gaping mouth.

"I supposed he must have loved you, like you said, but I had no idea how deeply." Maurice was having his own sort of revelations. He looked down at his cane and his bad leg. "That explains why he tried to break every bone in my body. She must have told him that I was responsible for your death. The gods know, I would've done the same had the tables been reversed."

"W…Wait," Belle stuttered. Trying to keep up with the story, which sounded very much like the one she had just finished reading in Henry's book. She was beginning to think that her father was becoming delusional. "Who are you talking about?"

"Rumplestiltskin."

.

.

.

.

.

.

***Le Gasp* So Maurice turns out not to be not such a bad guy. It all leads back to Regina (surprise surprise) So there's a possible Rumple/Belle fluffy bunny reunion coming, but please have patience. True Love takes time! REVEIW PLEASE! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: OH DEARIES! I am loving all of your wonderful reviews! Thank you! Thank you! I am so wonderfully glad that you are enjoying the journey. Heads up, though, the claws are about to come out! So buckle your seatbelt and hold on for the next few chapters!**

**Chapter 20**

Gold had sulked back to his shop as a broken man. His true love was in tears because of him. She was hurting because of him. Every sorrow in her life was because of him. He was the problem. How could he be so foolish to think that anyone, let alone an angel like Belle, could every find anything other than pain with a devil like him?

Perhaps, it was better for her to be rid of him. All he'd cause her is misery. She could have a chance at a life, at happiness, without him. She could find someone else who could love her and give her the happiness she deserved. And she deserved so much more than he could ever give her.

So were his thoughts for hours.

The ringing of the bell above his door roused him from his reveries. Two desperate souls walked inside the pawnshop. Gold was both unsurprised and angered by their appearance. He knew what they wanted, but unfortunately for them, he was in no mood to help either of them. But taunt them and take away the hope they had taken away from him, that he would gladly do.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is the look of a believer?" He sneered at Emma. The queen was quick on her heels.

"We need your help," Emma said trying to hide her coldness.

"Indeed you do. It seems quite the tragic ailment has befallen our young friend." He looked to the queen. "I thought you would've learned by now, that all magic comes with a price."

"But Henry shouldn't have to pay it." Regina told him.

"No, you should, but alas we are where we are." Rumplestiltskin said coldly.

"Can you help us?" Emma begged. While she asked Rumplestiltskin, Regina pulled out her phone and began to txt someone.

"Of course," he smiled to both women's relief. "Unfortunately, for you, I'm not inclined to help either of the women who saw fit to ruin my happiness." He then turned on his heels as Emma and Regina were left dumbfounded. Emma snapped back into action first.

"Look, I'm sorry that I barged in on your little romantic interlude and that Regina screwed up everybody's happy endings and junk, but I need your help." Emma begged him. Her words did not hinder him as he continued to ignore her and walk towards the back.

"Not my problem, Ms. Swan." He called as he raised the curtain of the separate room.

"Please!" she begged in utter desperation. "I'll do anything."

Rumplestiltskin stopped dead in his tracks. The temptation was too much for the imp to pass up. Emma and Regina both could not believe the words the sheriff had just uttered. Rumplestiltskin turned back around to face Emma's horrified face.

"Anything, Dearie?" his eyes looked like that of a madman. He slowly walked back to where the blonde woman stood. Emma bulked up the courage and answered him.

"Yes," she agreed. "But you have to save Henry."

"I think you'll find that it's not for me to save him, but you." Rumplestiltskin told her as he walked back up to his counter.

"How?" Emma asked.

"Tut tut tut, knowledge is power, Ms. Swan. First, we need to discuss payment." Rumplestiltskin told her as he pulled out a small knife and even smaller vial from under the counter. "Hold out your hand."

"Why?" Emma asked nervously retracting herself away from the imp.

"This is the price, Ms. Swan. Your blood." Rumplestiltskin explained. Emma looked skeptically between Gold and the blade. "Come, come, Emma, it's just a little prick of the finger."

Hesitantly, she gave him her left hand. He took the slender hand into his own. Rumplestiltskin gently brought the blade down on the tip of one of her delicate fingers. With a quick, precise flick of the wrist, a small cut was imbedded into her flesh. Dark scarlet blood trickled down Emma's finger into the vial, much like her grandmother's had upon the snowy ground so many years before. Rumplestiltskin's eyes looked greedily as the small vial was filled with the savior's blood. When it was filled to the top, Rumplestiltskin released Emma's hand and capped the vial.

"Are we done?" Emma asked as she wiped off the excess blood on her jeans. Rumplestiltskin raised his greedy eyes from the vial to the sheriff.

"With this step, yes." He grinned as he placed the vial into his jacket pocket.

"Great, whatever. What do I have to do to save Henry?" Emma asked impatiently.

"True love, Ms. Swan, the only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and break any curse. Luckily for you, I happened to bottle some." Rumplestiltskin smirked.

"You did?" Regina asked surprised.

"Oh yes," he said as he turned to Emma. "From strands of your parents hair, I made the most powerful potion in all the realm. So powerful, that when I created the Dark Curse I placed a single drop on the parchment, just a little safety valve."

"That's why I'm the savior, that's why I can break the curse." Emma began to realize her destiny.

"Now, you're getting it."

"I don't care about breaking any curse. All I care about is saving Henry." Emma said.

"I didn't use all the potion. I saved some for a rainy day." He grinned an mischievous grin.

"Well, it's storming like a bitch. Where is it?" Emma was starting to get annoyed as Gold continued to waste her time with stories instead of helping her save her son.

"Where it is isn't the problem, getting it is what should worry you." Rumplestiltskin told her.

"Enough riddles. What do we do?" Regina demanded.

"You do nothing!" Rumplestiltskin hissed at the queen. "It has to be Ms. Swan, she is the product of the magic." Bickering ensued for the next few minutes. After explaining the task at hand, Rumplestiltskin presented Emma with her father's sword and sent her on her merry quest. The Queen, however, remained.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but don't think that I don't have a few tricks up my own sleeves." Regina warned.

"Your powers are growing weaker and weaker, Your Majesty. It's brought you back here to me, and seeking my help while poor Henry is slowly dying. Ironically enough, he's dying by your hand." Rumplestiltskin gave a smirk. The queen wanted nothing more than to rip his amusement off of his face, so she did.

"For your little scullery maid's sake, you had better hope he doesn't." Regina hissed. Rumplestiltskin's features darkened as his rage built up inside. The imp grew mad with rage. It was all he could do to speak and not take his knife to her throat.

"What did you do?" Rumplestiltskin demanded. His knuckles turned white as balled up his hand into a fist.

"Nothing," she told him, "yet. But I advise you not to go see her anytime soon. That is unless you would like my men to kill her then and there."

"What do you want?" Rumplestiltskin asked, holding back the urge to slaughter the evil queen right there in the middle of his pawnshop.

"Henry to live!" she shouted at him. "I want my son to live!"

"And I've told you what needs to be done," he said with false calmness.

"Ms. Swan may have been easy to convince, but I know you. You wouldn't use what little magic you have to save anyone, let alone my son." Regina told him.

"You're right," Rumplestiltskin said to her surprise. "But I'm not saving _your_ son. I'm saving Ms. Swan's." The sheer fury on Regina's face was priceless to him. "Also, you should know that it is unwise to threaten the only man with the power to save Henry." Rumplestiltskin was satisfied by her moment of stunned silence.

"Very well, but know this, if Henry dies, so does she. And no amount of saying 'please' can stop me."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: (Cue dramatic music) AHHHHHH! Regina! She's absolutely terrible! (but so much fun to write). So Emma's off to face a dragon, Henry's at death's door, Belle's convinced that her father is losing it, and Rumple is left with a dire ultimatum. What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out :D (and review, reviewing helps speed along the process. It's the fuel behind the writing.)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Oh Dearest Dearies! You reviews are so overwhelmingly awesome! I can't express how much your entertainment means to me! My mind is teaming with so much Once Upon A Time goodness! As I promised the story is heating up, and I plan this chapter to be the deep breathe before the plunge. So go on**

**Chapter 21**

Rumplestiltskin's stomach had been in knots ever since Emma and the Queen left his shop only moments ago. He could not be still. He was far too anxious to be still. He paced the room with vigor. The queen's words echoed in his mind, "If Henry dies, so does she." This was an ultimatum he could not win because he knew what needed to happen. The princeling would have to die and be awoken by True Love's kiss. There was no other way around it, that's just how that spell worked. Nothing he or the queen could do would be able to save him. And now Belle would pay with her life. It was, again, his fault she was in danger. He could do nothing. He was useless. He didn't even know where she was exactly. He could only guess that she was at Mary Margaret's apartment, but after all the madness that had transpired, he couldn't be sure. He should have strangled the heartless queen while he had the chance. His pacing was stopped as the bell above the door rang again. A tall dark figure entered the pawnshop. A long black coat flowed behind the lean figure of a man. As he walked closer, Gold caught sight of who it was that approached.

"What's this? The Hatter come to make a deal with me? I thought you were under Regina's beck and call." Rumplestiltskin smirked. Jefferson's dark glare confirmed otherwise.

"Not anymore," he said coldly. "And I didn't come to make a deal with you." Gold was puzzled by this.

"Why did you come then?" Rumplestiltskin asked. "Unless it's to purchase something from my shelves, I will ask you to leave."

"I came to help you." He said simply.

"Why, might I ask would you want to do that?" Rumplestiltskin asked skeptically. Jefferson grit his teeth.

"Regina double crossed me." Jefferson said roughly.

"Now why is that not surprising?" Rumplestiltskin interrupted.

"Yeah," Jefferson answered dryly. "Helping you assures that her plans are foiled." He explained.

"Uh huh." Rumplestiltskin raised his brow. "I don't think you quite grasp the situation here, Jefferson." Rumplestiltskin went to escape to his back room.

"I understand perfectly." Jefferson's words gave Rumplestiltskin pause. "I know what it's like to be separated from the one you love because they have no memory of you. I know how much you want her to remember everything, to remember you. It's torture." Jefferson's expression softened as he spoke. Despite the calm in the Hatter's voice, his words only angered Rumplestiltskin. He took the Hatter by his coat collar and threw him against the wall with enough force to send a few of the pictures hanging there crashing to the floor. The glass shattered at Gold's feet, for Jefferson's were no longer touching the ground. The Hatter was astonished at the unsuspected strength Rumplestiltskin possessed.

"You know nothing of what I suffer! Did that bitch put your true love on the chopping block? Did she give you an impossible ultimatum? Did she tie your dear one's fate to that of a doomed boy?" Rumplestiltskin bellowed out of despair and anger. His knuckles turned white as his grip increased. Jefferson's feet dangled beneath him as he spoke.

"Which is why you need my help," Jefferson said roughly as he struggled against Rumplestiltskin's grip. "We both know that the kid's going to die, and that little quest you sent them on isn't going to help him. We both know Belle hasn't got a hope." Rumplestiltskin's grip began to loosen. Jefferson slowly was brought done to the floor once again.

"What do you propose we do?" Rumplestiltskin asked hesitantly.

"I know where she is," he told Gold.

"Where?" He asked desperately hopefully as he tightened his grip once again.

"Well, you see, I can't exactly tell you." Jefferson shrugged. Before he could give reason, Rumplestiltskin grabbed the scarred throat of the hatter.

"If you value your life, you will tell me where she is!" he demanded.

"If I do, you'll storm down there and the second you show your face within 50 yards of her, Regina's men will move in and she'll be gone forever." Jefferson choked out. Rumplestiltskin considered what the Hatter said before releasing him altogether. Jefferson coughed as air flooded back into his lungs.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"You may not be able to waltz into where she is, but I can." Jefferson explained.

"Go on," Rumplestiltskin crossed his arms as he listened to Jefferson's plan.

"I'll go and neutralize the threat of Regina's men, but it will take time. Time is something we don't have very much of. Especially, with Regina being ever vigilant of her plans. But that's where you come in." Jefferson saw that he was being heard out. "So, you need to make sure that Regina is unable to reach any of her men to give them the heads up."

"I can…" Gold began, but the Hatter stopped him.

"We need her alive," Jefferson interjected. Gold went to speak again, but the Hatter stopped him. "And with all of her limbs."

"Well, you're no fun." Rumplestiltskin complained.

"This way, you can get the magic from them," Jefferson told him. Rumplestiltskin's ears perked.

"How did you know about the magic?" He asked suspiciously.

"You aren't the only one who hears things in the cover of shadow." Jefferson said slyly. "I've become very good at eavesdropping at important times."

"How do I know that I can trust you?" Rumplestiltskin grew wary of the Hatter.

"You don't," Jefferson answered simply. "But what other choice do you have?" Jefferson answered. Rumplestiltskin had none.

"How will I know she is safe?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"I'll call you, maybe, I could always send messenger pigeons, if you want." Jefferson smirked. Rumplestiltskin was not amused.

"Then will you tell me where she is?" he asked the Hatter.

"Of course," Jefferson placed a hand over his heart. "And you two can live happily ever after."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: For those of you who are big Hatter fans, I could't resist putting him in! He is kind of the captain of this ship after all ;) But anyways, it sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? With RumBelle, things are never what they seem... (OOOH crypto message!) Anywho, I hope you enjoyed and come prepared for the next chapter! R&R**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Ok Oncers & Dearies, I know I'm not the only one on the OUaT countdown to season 2! Just a couple of months away! I can't even express how excited I am! It's like happy little butterflies are dancing across rainbow on unicorns while eating cotton candy when a shower of puppies fell from the sky! (Jiminy chirping in the background) Ok, so maybe it's just me with the rainbows and the puppies, and anyway back to the point. I'm pretty sure some people will want to break out the pitchforks and torches again after this chapter, so I'm going to go ahead and find a good hiding place... tootles!**

**Chapter 22**

There was little time that it took Gold to be ready to leave. He grabbed only two things from the back room of his shop: a small golden key to unlock the golden egg and a small pistol, just for persuasion, of course. He also had some necessities, like rope and a roll of duct tape, already in his car from his brush with Moe French a few months ago. Gold got into his car and drove across town to the building that hid a dragon in it depths. The sun was just beginning to rise on this doomed day. He knew the little prince had hours, if not minutes, left before the poisoned apple completed its dark purpose.

Neither car nor person stalked the solemn streets of Storybrooke at this time. Gold could see the red sun rising in the horizon as he feverishly pressed his foot against the gas pedal. He had to slam on the breaks and skid to a stop in front of the old abandoned building.

He took a deep breath as he entered, where a bewildered Regina turned to meet him. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of him and wider still at the sight of the .22 caliber pistol pointed at her. The Evil Queen composed herself.

"You do know killing me gets you…" she began.

"Sit down and shut up," Rumplestiltskin hissed. Regina's face grew pale as she saw the intensity of his anger. She hesitantly obeyed as Rumplestiltskin advanced. He circled around her like a shark.

"You should have known better than to cross me, Dearie." He said with almost the same tone he possessed in the old world. "You should have known that the Dark One is not a person to be trifled with, even in a land without magic. To threaten me is foolish in itself, but to threaten Belle, the woman who's life means more to me than anyone and anything in this hell you've created, that," he gave a maddening smirk, "now, that is a new level of stupidity I had not previously believed to exist. I believe you could be crowned the 'Queen of Fools'."

"I…" Regina tried to squeak.

"Ah, ah, ah," Rumplestiltskin cooed. "All hail the Queen." With that said the butt of the pistol fell hard on the back of her head and Regina was knocked out cold. He made quick of tying her arms and legs to the chair. Finally, he placed a strip of duct tape over her lips. She slowly began to move again and she dizzily tried to raise her head an open her eyes. Obviously, he had not hit her hard enough, but Jefferson did tell him not to kill her. He raised his pistol again to send her back to dreamland for a good hour or two, when something stopped him.

A loud ringing came from the elevator shaft and light was blinking. Gold pulled the lever for the elevator to begin pulling Ms. Swan (or what was left of her) back up. He looked down to see the lift almost to the top. He could see the top of Emma's blonde head and, more importantly, the golden egg. Gold turned back to the turning tumblers and lever. He pulled the lever off the wall and jammed it into the tumblers, forcing them to an abrupt stop. The elevator made a sickening noise as it screeched to a halt about 10 or15 feet from the landing where he stood.

"Regina! What the hell was that? Regina?" Emma's voice came for the lift. Gold held his smirk as she called, and he waited until his time came.

"Ms. Swan? You've got it?" He asked almost innocently. Emma looked up surprised to see him.

"Mr. Gold, what are you doing here?" She asked as she cradled the golden egg in her arms.

"I've come to check on you. Glad I did, Regina's abandoned you and sabotage the elevator." Gold told her, trying very hard not to laugh at how gullible she was.

"What? I'm coming up." Emma placed the egg on the top of the elevator as she climbed out onto the top of the lift.

"No, there's no time for that. You can't possible scale the wall and carry that." Gold said, trying to hide the greed in his voice. The magic was so close. Soon, Belle would always be safe under his protection.

"Yeah, well, I can try." She insisted as she tried to continue climbing but failed.

"No, you can't, just toss it up." Gold could not hide his greed. Emma looked up at him skeptically. He needed to conceal his avarice. "Your boy's going to be fine, I promise. Now, we're running out of time. Toss it up." After some hesitation she did just as he instructed.

"You'll hold on to it. I'll be right up." Emma said. The large golden egg sailed up to the awaiting hand of Rumplestiltskin. It was all too easy. He smiled and turned to leave as the sheriff's cries echoed behind him.

"Mr. Gold? Gold?"

He walked passed Regina, who was coming back into her own, and back out into the street to his awaiting car. He had just pulled out into the road and began driving when his phone started to ring. There was only one call he was expecting, and with anxious hands he pulled it out of his pocket.

"Is she safe?" Rumplestiltskin asked into the receiver.

"Yep, she's safe. Taking the guards out was as simple as bippidi-boppidi-boo." Jefferson said in a flat voice.

"Where is she?" Rumplestiltskin's desperation was hard to miss in the tone of his voice.

"Where do girls go after a guy breaks their heart?" Jefferson riddled.

"Her father's house?" Rumplestiltskin surprised.

"Bingo," Jefferson said before hanging up. Gold broke every speed limit in Storybrooke to reach Moe French's house. He was in such a rush that he completely forgot to grab his cane. He briskly limped to the open door. But wait. He stopped dead in his tracks. Open door.

Rumplestiltskin gazed upon the scene before him with more scrutiny. The door was wide open to reveal a dark front room. He walked cautiously forward and noticed a faint light further into the house. His heart skipped a beat. The Hatter had said she was safe. Just then, a noise came from the living room, like something moving over broken glass.

"Belle?" Rumplestiltskin yelled as he ran over shards of glass and stepped around overturned side tables. He reached the living room to see it completely wrecked, pictures fallen from off the wall, furniture turned over, a tea set broken on the floor, and Moe French lying in the middle of it with a busted lip and swollen eye.

"Mr. French?" Rumplestiltskin managed to breathe in shock and bewilderment. The battered man looked up to him with such hope that Rumplestiltskin had not expected.

"Rumplestiltskin!" he cried. Rumplestiltskin's brow raised in surprise at being called his real name.

"Maurice?" He asked in disbelief. Rumplestiltskin helped the old duke up off the floor and to the couch. "Where is Belle?"

"He took her," Maurice groaned as he held his throbbing head.

"Who?" Rumplestiltskin implored.

"That damned crazy hatter." Maurice told him. "He came in here and drug her away, I tried to stop him, but I'm not as agile as I used to be." Maurice spat out some of the blood collecting in his mouth from his spilt lip. "I was already bested when Belle hit him over the head with the teapot. But that didn't stop him from snatching her up and out the door." Maurice had just finished his tale when Gold's phone began to ring with the same number as before.

"Where is she, you lying bastard?" Rumplestiltskin's venomous tone was not one to be trifled with. Jefferson gave a small chuckle.

"Lie? I didn't lie, I merely left out the part where I kidnapped your dearly beloved."

"Where is she?" Rumplestiltskin demanded again.

"Oh, she's here with me. Safe and sound. We were just having a little chat, about you actually. Ain't that right, Belle?" Jefferson lifted the phone towards Belle.

"Gold!" Belle cries rang in Rumplestiltskin's ear. "Help m…" They were quickly muffled by what Rumplestiltskin assumed was a gag. Jefferson's voice came back.

"Must say, I expected Belle to be there with dear old Moe, but imagine my surprise to find crazy old Maurice." Jefferson snickered.

"Let her go, or I swear to the gods I will make you pay!" Rumplestiltskin growled. Jefferson ignored him as he began to speak.

"You see, I knew making a deal with you would backfire on me one way or another, but this, this gets your attention and cooperation." Jefferson said. "Look, I don't want to hurt anyone here. No, I actually like you two together, but a desperate man will do anything to get want he wants. You of all people should be able to understand that."

"What do you want?" Rumplestiltskin asked, sure that he already knew the answer lied in his coat pocket.

"Do you have the magic you had Emma retrieve for you?" Jefferson asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin answered.

"Good, we can meet and have a little trade." Jefferson replied, no doubt with a smirk on his face.

"Where?"

"What has the power to return that which one has lost?" Jefferson asked in another riddle.

"The well in the forest," Rumplestiltskin answered.

"You have ten minutes, come alone and unarmed." Jefferson instructed. "I suggest you hurry, the clock is ticking. Tick-tock tick-tock."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**(Meanwhile, on an island no one can find, except by those who already knows where it is.) Ok, so Jefferson turned out to be a bit of a baddy. (Denial) Ok, a big baddy, but I'm sure like everyone else on this show, he has his reasons. Even if his reasons are completely self-motivated and hurt others in the process, Rumple isn't exactly able to cast the first stone, so to speak. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up before the HatterLovers find me and pull a Queen of Hearts on me.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: (From the top of a coconut tree as an angry mob is gathered around below) So it appears that you have found me. But before I offer my surrender, first let offer Chapter 23. Whilst I have distracted you with yet another chapter, I shall make my quick escape to a better hiding spot. I can already tell you that I'll need one when you've finished this chapter. Thanks for the reviews and threats! **

**Chapter 23**

Speeding would be an understatement for what Mr. Gold's car was doing through the streets and onto back roads of Storybrooke. His gas pedal rarely left the floor of the car as he careened around curves and whipped around twists and turns. He obsessively kept looking down at the clock on the dash as precious seconds turned to minutes and his time ran low. It was almost 7:45 and he had about five minutes left to reach the well. He did not know what the Hatter wanted with the magic, nor did he presently care. All that filled his mind was Belle. She must be so confused and scared, unaware of the part she played in this plot. His heart ached at the thought of her frightened face. How could he have trusted a charlatan like Jefferson? They didn't call him mad for nothing.

If he dared harm a single hair on her precious head, Rumplestiltskin would waste no time in removing the Hatter's, permanently. He stomped on his breaks as he reached the end the road. He had only to walk a few yards up the hill and he would be at the well. He was going into this blind, and he knew it. Rumplestiltskin needed a plan that would leave Belle out of harms way and the Hatter empty handed. If he could just get the magic into the well and his power returned, this would be so much easier. But how? Jefferson wanted the magic for himself, so how was he going to get it down the well without Belle getting caught up in any sort of maddness that would surely ensue? He hadn't the time for plans, improvisation would have to do.

* * *

"Well, well, well, right on time," Jefferson called when Gold came into view. The pawnbroker was out of breath from his hasty climb and leaned on the well for support. Rumplestiltskin looked up to see the Hatter with Belle in his grasp. She was forced on her knees, hands bound, and mouth gagged. The Hatter held her by the hair as Rumplestiltskin drew nearer, causing more tears to stream down her terrified face. The gun placed firmly at her temple.

"Let her go," Rumplestiltskin said. He took a step forward and Jefferson pressed the gun harder against Belle's head, causing her the wince in pain.

"I've only got one bullet left after taking care of Regina's men. Don't make me use it on her." Jefferson warned.

"Your qualm is with me, not her." Rumplestiltskin pleaded.

"True as that may be, she still serves a purpose here." Jefferson told him. "You see, you and I aren't that different. We've both loved and lost. I lost my sweet Grace and you lost your True Love, and it was all because our stupid greed and pride. Well, wasn't it? Then we get here, and lo and behold we're reunited with our loved ones! Oh, but here's the kicker, they don't have a clue who we are, who we were. My own daughter looks at me like a total stranger!" He said furiously. "I've worked to hard to get back to her, only to be stopped by a curse. Emma has no interest in breaking the curse or saving us, just her son. That magic is all that can bring Grace and me back together."

"Jefferson, please, put the gun away and let's just talk this out." Rumplestiltskin pleaded.

"Do you have it?" the Hatter asked.

"Yes, it's here in my pocket." Rumplestiltskin placed a hand over his coat pocket. He pulled out a vial and held it firmly in his hands.

"Give it here." Jefferson said greedily.

"Let her go," Rumplestiltskin replied. Jefferson looked down to the girl at the end of his pistol. Jefferson looked between the man and the trembling woman. Belle's confused eyes implored him. He sighed as he pulled her up to her feet, still aiming the gun at her. Without so much as a word, he untied Belle's hands from behind her back. Her eyes grew wide and fixed on Gold as the Hatter freed her of her bonds. There was a glint in the blue orbs as they gazed up the pawnbroker. She went to step towards him, but the Hatter caught her by her hair again and held her in place.

"Wait, wait, I rem…" she tried to say.

"Quiet!" Jefferson hissed as he pulled tighter to her hair. "Now toss me the vial, and I'll let her go."

"Whatever you say," Rumplestiltskin tossed the vial high above their heads. Jefferson's eyes followed as he released Belle to free a hand and catch the vial. Belle ran to Mr. Gold, who pushed her behind him. She held tightly to his shoulders a he created a human shield between Belle and the Mad Hatter. As Jefferson caught the vial, he looked closer to see the scarlet contents.

"This is just a vial of blood," Jefferson said as he threw it to the ground. When he looked back up, Rumplestiltskin was holding another vial. The purple mist danced inside its glass confines.

"Oh, did I give you _that_ vial? I meant _this_ one. Oops," he said as he dropped the magic into the well. Jefferson was maddened with rage.

"NO!" the Hatter shouted.

There was a loud whooshing sound echoing from the well, but it had been masked by the sound of a gunshot. Time stood still in the forest as the purple fog began to pour out of the fountain. Jefferson dropped his gun and ran away with all haste. Belle's eyes grew wide as her heart stopped cold. She fell to her knees and tears flowed anew down her cheeks as she cradled Rumplestiltskin in her arms, blood flowing from his chest.

"Rumplestiltskin!" Belle cried. His dazed eyes found hers, which shown with a familiar glow he had remembered.

"Belle? Is it really you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she gave a sad smile. She smoothed a stray hair from his face. "It's me."

"Belle," he breathed again, before coughing. The bullet had entered his chest and pierced his lung.

"I tried to… tried to tell you, but…" she began to sob. It broke his heart to see her so distressed. He raised a hand to her tearstained cheek. Her warm face countered the cold that was setting in on his limbs. His vision began to blur and he knew he did not have much longer to live, let alone say goodbye.

"Shhh, it's alright, it's alright," he cooed. "Belle, I need you to do something."

"Anything," she promised.

"The vial, I gave Jefferson, bring it here." He told here. She looked at him, reluctant to leave him. "Hurry!"

Belle scrambled over to where the Hatter had been standing. She rifled through the dead leaves on the ground, searching desperately for the vial. "I found it!"

"Good," Rumplestiltskin strained to speak. "Now, I want you to hold on to it, until the time comes for the blood to be repaid."

"What does that mean?" Belle asked as she knelt beside him once again.

"You're a bright girl, you'll figure it out." Rumplestiltskin smiled at her. He placed his hand back to her face and traced her jawline with his thumb. "At least I got to see you once last time."

"Don't talk like that. We're together now, everything's going to be fine. You'll see," she tried to hide her sobs. Rumplestiltskin gave her a small smile. He could only make out her outline against the thick purple smoke.

"Belle, I'm so sorry." He said softly, "For what I did and said to make you leave."

"It's alright, I forgave you a long time ago," she gave another sad smile. "But, right now, I need you to hold on, just a little while longer." She desrpetaly looked for any sign of hope beyond the thick smoke that flooded the entire forest around them.

"I love you," he whispered as he no longer could hold his eyes open, no longer hold his hand to her face, no longer cling to the life so eager to leave him. His hand fell to the forest floor with a soft thud. Belle looked back to the man lying in her lap.

"Rumplestiltskin?" she shook him, but he did not move, "Rumplestiltskin?" she cried in earnest, "Rumplestiltskin!" Belle felt warm tears begin to pour down her cheeks and onto the motionless body of her True Love. She felt an unbearable pain in her chest as her heart no longer had the will to beat. She clung to his body as the dense smoke began clouding her sight. She could no longer see him, but only feel him in her arms. All hope was drained from her as her will to live faded and she wished nothing more than to be dead herself. She felt her way to his face and placed one last agonizing kiss goodbye. Her lips found his cold dead lips through the fog. Fighting a wailing sob, she lightly kissed her love a parting sorrowful goodbye. "I... love... you."

She lifted her face away from his and was content to sit there forever with Rumplestiltskin's cold body cradled in her arms.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: (Angry mob has already found new hiding spot and are using a battering ram to break down the door) I can fix it! I can fix it! I promise! Just give me a couple of days! All will be right in the world of Rumbelle, swear on my Once Upon a Time pinterest board! It shall be alright in the end!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: As I stand at the guillotine before the mob, I ask only one final request: That you read this chapter and then decide my fate. If I have broken the hearts of Rumbellers everywhere, let this be my amends for the devious travesty I have caused with your emotions. I only hope that my words, though they have put me here to my looming death, will also be my saving grace.**

**Chapter 24**

Death is different for all. For some, it is like going home. For others, it is a most terrifying journey. For some it is swift, like a thief in the night. While for others it cannot come fast enough. Some welcome it. Others fear it. Death is what you make of it. However, no one has put it as simply as one extraordinary boy, "To die will be an awfully big adventure."

As Belle sat in the dense purple fog with Rumplestiltskin's body in her arms, there was a solemn quiet that filled the forest. No birds chirped away in the beauty of the morning. No insects buzzed about in the sun's warming rays that filtered down from the canopy and through the thick fog of magic. Poor Belle had run out of tears. Her voice had given out after countless pleas and calling his name. She was unsure how much time had passed. It could have been hours, or minutes, or even mere seconds that had ticked by. She didn't know, nor did she care. How could anything else matter? He was gone, forever. She couldn't even see him through the smoke, only feel the outline of his smooth face. So different from the course skin she had known in the Dark Castle.

It the midst of the purple mist, she caught sight a faint light. It was not the sun overhead, but it was coming from somewhere below. She looked down to see a dim golden light slowly grow brighter and brighter. It was then, she realized, that the glow came from Rumplestiltskin's chest. The wind began to pick up and blow furiously overhead, clearing the smoke around where she was knelt. The wind whispered, carrying words she had never heard before. It was like a song of an incantation with words long forgotten.

The next thing she knew, Rumplestiltskin's body was being lifted off of her lap. She had beheld what looked like a bright sun glowing from his chest. Rumplestiltskin was lifted high into the air as the light then absorbed into his chest. Suddenly, the light caused his skin to glow as if it were made of the purest golden. He reflected in the sunlight as the winds gently began to bring him back to the ground. He was laid down on the ground only a couple feet away from Belle, who was in awe at the sight. The glow of his skin began to fade to what it had been as she hesitantly moved forward. She reached out her hand to touch him. When she did, to her amazement, he gasped for breath. She jumped back in fright as his eyes shot open.

"Belle?" he breathed as he slowly sat up and looked at her. Her face was the very definition of shocked. His was not very different. He felt his chest, which had recently harbored a bullet. Rumplestiltskin unbuttoned and opened his shirt to reveal that no such wound existed. In disbelief, Belle moved closer and placed her hand upon where there should have been a bullet wound.

"You're alive?" Belle could not fathom how it happened. She looked up to meet Rumplestiltskin's smirking face.

"It appears that way, Dearie." He began to give a small laugh, but he was stopped by Belle's lips upon his own. He relented his everything as he melted into her utter goodness. His Belle was here and she was his. He pulled her close and refused to let her go. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she, too, refused to be parted from him. She seemed to be made to fit in his arms, for there was no other explanation as to how she seemed to belong there. Belle was the first to break the kiss, but it was only to bury her face in his neck as her ability to cry returned.

"I thought I had lost you forever," she confessed in small sobs. Rumplestiltskin held her in a tight embrace as he tried to sooth her.

"I guess this makes us even." He could not help but to tease her. He got the desired affect of her laughter. She lifted her face to look him. Rumplestiltskin raised a hand to wipe away the tears that still lingered on her cheek. Her smile warmed his heart in a way no other could.

"But how?" Belle asked. "How are you still alive?"

"Magic, Belle," he motioned to the well as the last of the purple fog escaped out and into the forest.

"Magic? Does that mean you're… but we kissed… I thought," she babbled on as she stood. Rumplestiltskin could not help but laugh at her expense.

"No, no, no, Belle," he said, standing up and taking her hand. "I can feel the surge of magic flowing around as I could before. I feel it in my veins, running through like blood."

"But how?" she was in shocked disbelief.

"Magic does not work the same here as it did in our world. In the Old World, those born into it, blessed with it, or cursed with it could only harness magic. But here, the possibilities are endless!"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's all very complex. Before, magic had lived through the ages and seen so much more than anyone could ever see. It identified with things and warped into two different types of matter: Good and Evil. Here, there is no such bond. It has never existed in this world before and therefore has not been taught what is good and what is evil here. Right now it is only innocence, like a child, it will do whatever it is told. It can take life." Rumplestiltskin explained as he raised his hand and took aim at a tree that stood a ways off. In the blink of an eye, a bolt of lightening surged from his fingertip and struck the tree down. With a mighty crash it fell to the forest floor. Belle jumped with fright. "Or it can give life." With a flick of the wrist, Rumplestiltskin then restored the tree to where it had been. The wood mending back together, bark falling back into place, and leaves raining upward from the forest floor. "All bets are off, and the slate is wiped clean. I can have all the power of the Dark One without the side effects."

"But doesn't all magic come with a price?" Belle asked nervously. Her words caught his attention. She could see how hungry Rumplestiltskin was for power. She could see the lust in his heart. Her only hope was that love outweighed the darkness. "What is the price you will pay?" Belle slowly backed away from him. This was the only way she could get her point across to him. "I love you, Rumplestiltskin, with all that I am, but I cannot bear to live a life as only second best."

"Belle, do you think that's what you are? Second best?" he whispered. His face dropped into one of heartbreak. "I lost you once that way, and I refuse to make the same mistake again."

"But, the magic," Belle began as Rumplestiltskin slowly approached her as if she were a frightened animal.

"Means nothing to me, if you are gone." He told her. "But you must realize that the time has come that it is necessary. There is a need to have power."

"Why?" she asked. Rumplestiltskin touched her face with the lightest stroke.

"Only those familiar with controlling magic have the power to harness it now." He explained.

"Does that mean Regina has power again?" Belle asked. Rumplestiltskin grew rigid at the mention of that evil woman's name.

"Yes," he sighed, "yes, she does. But there is something more."

"What else is there?" Belle asked as she saw the genuine worry on his face. His anxiety was beginning to scare her.

"Oh, Belle, for a long time, the struggle for power has been between the Queen and me. We have tried to overthrow one another for what seems like a lifetime. But now, there is something else that surpasses both mine and the Queen's power." There would war. Not just any war, but the same war that had sent them all to Storybrooke in the first place. Rumplestiltskin took a deep breath as he tried to explain what would come to happen.

"What?"

"The ultimate power that can overtake Regina's reign." Rumplestiltskin said with a smile. "And she owes me a favor."

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: And now the time has come. You must decide my fate, does my story live or perish? Review! **


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hello DEARIES! Oh, I know it's been a while, but this chapter has been very difficult for me to write, mainly because it is the last installment :( My goal was to write a OUaT story that lasted through the summer, and seeing as I start classes Monday, I'd say I reached my goal. I cannot expressed how much I appreciate your support and reviews throughout this story. Your reviews and threats are priceless to me. I did not want to leave you with chapter 24 as your only closure, so I give you the final chapter of Blind Deals!**

**Chapter 25**

"We should go," Rumplestiltskin said. They had been lounging by the well for hours. They both knew that as soon as they went back to town, everything would be different. Right now, in these few moments, was the only peace they would have for a while. Belle reluctantly lifted her head from where it rested on his exposed chest just so she could hear his heart beat.

"Just a few more minutes," she begged. For hours they had sat there and talked about everything and nothing. The whole morning had passed by them. For the last thirty minutes, however, they had sat contently in silence, knowing that the other was there, alive and well.

"As happy as I would be to oblige your request, we cannot hide up here forever." He said softly stroking her hair. "Besides, it's hard to hide properly when your stomach keeps growling like some wild animal. You have to eat something."

Rumplestiltskin began to shift, but Belle's arms clung tightly to him. "Ten more seconds," she implored, "please." How could he deny her that? He slumped back down and pulled her tightly up into his arms. He took in every bit of this instant, every breath, every fiber of her being, every touch, every scent. He looked down and turned her face up to him. Her eyes were fixed on him as his were on her. Rumplestiltskin was lost in those bright blue orbs staring at him.

"My dear, sweet, Belle," he breathed. "I would give you every second." With that, he covered her sweet lips with his own in a kiss. At first, it had been tender and gentle, but it increasingly grew greedy. He kissed her like he was a drowning man, she was the last bit of air he could breathe before being submerged into nothingness. He earnestly fought to control himself; otherwise he would happily dive into her ocean and never come back up for air. In that moment, he could not recall a time when he had been happier.

Belle was content never to leave the safe haven by the well, where time did not move and battles of good and evil were nonexistent. She was wary of conflict. She had been raised in the midst of the Ogre War and now she was about to walk into the fray of the ultimate battle of good and evil. But this moment, she was in the arms of the man she so truly loved with all her being. In this moment, everything was as it should be. She buried herself into the kisses she bestowed upon her beloveds mouth. She was willing herself to remember every detail of every second that ticked by.

"I don't want to go back, I don't want to worry about losing you again," she whispered as she broke the kiss to cling desperately to his neck. Rumplestiltskin was quiet for a moment.

"You want us to run away?" he asked her. "Run away from the ensuing battle?"

"I can't bear to live in a world where I don't know if I'll see you again every time we are apart." She admitted.

"What about your friends? Snow White, Emma, Henry?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

"I know, and I don't want to abandon them, believe me I don't. I just want you safe, and if we stay here you won't be." Belle told him.

"My brave Belle, willing to run like a coward just to keep me safe… this will not do," he said as he stood. She was left to look up at him. "As much as I wish we could, we cannot run from this."

"Am I terribly selfish for wishing it so?" she asked as he helped her up from the forest floor.

"No, my love, you are merely a woman protecting that which she loves." He smiled. "Unfortunately for you, I happen to be a damnable necessity to this war."

"I know, I know," she sighed as they began slowly walked away from the safe haven. "I just wish there was some escape, even if it were just for a little while." Rumplestiltskin thought for a moment, the possibilities and outcomes rushed through his head as he tried to think of a way to satisfy Belle.

"How about we make a deal?" Rumplestiltskin allowed a sly smile to slither across his lips. Belle looked up at him with suspicious look.

"I have given up on making deals with you," she said amusedly.

"What if I arranged a way for us to get out of Storybrooke for a few weeks, maybe a month or two, but we would have to return." Rumplestiltskin offered.

"How?" she asked intrigued.

"They won't need my help right away, in this battle of theirs. The King and Queen will first turn to the fairies for help. Regina will be busy, too, trying to summon her forces together. They will neither want nor need my help until later, when the fairies' power fails to counter Regina's." He explained.

"But they're not just going to let us go, they will force you to stay if they have to." Belle added. She hated to think ill of anyone, other than Regina, but she knew her friends would do anything to keep the upper hand over the Evil Queen.

"Oh, you underestimate my powers of persuasion, my dear," he laughed as they reached his car. He opened the door for her before getting in himself.

"Are you going to have Emma pay up on her favor?" Belle asked curiously.

"Well, I could, but why waste it so soon? I have a better idea in mind.

"Oh?" Belle raised a brow. "Do tell."

"As it turns out, there's a full moon tonight, and the wolves tend to come out at night." He smiled even more slyly. Belle was completely lost.

"There aren't any wolves in Maine." She stated.

"Well, not if she wears magical little red riding hoods, which I happen to have in the back seat." He explained. Belle turned in her seat to see the beautiful scarlet cloak once worn by Red in the fairytale land.

"That wasn't there before," Belle said matter-of-factly.

"Of course not, I just their Royal Highnesses have decided to make camp. I think the King and Queen will be very eager to trade the cloak for a few weeks reprieve. I certainly know that Ruby will." Rumplestiltskin smirked smugly.

"Oh, you cunning man." Belle could not help but smile at him. "So what are we going to do once we leave Storybrooke?" Belle inquired. "I've always wanted adventure in the great wide somewhere."

"Perhaps we will, but first, I have an errand I must attend to that is far overdue," he explained somewhat sullen.

"What is it?" Belle could hear the sadness in his voice. Rumplestiltskin remained silent. "Please, tell me."

"Belle, you remember me telling you about my son?" he asked.

"Yes," she simply answered.

"I told you that I had lost him." He paused, thinking of the right words to use. Belle waited patiently and silently. "It's all very complicated, he was mad at me, at what I had become. The Dark One." Rumplestiltskin said with some aching in his chest. "He just wanted his poor commoner father back, but I was selfish and power-hungry. In short, I was a fool. Anyways, it came to the point where he went out trying to find a way to turn me back to what I was. And, clever boy, he did. He found a way to go to a different world, a land without magic, where I would be a regular person, the same as everybody else." He grew silent. Belle gently squeezed his arm.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I was a coward, a foolish, selfish coward. I promised him that I would go with him. But when the portal opened, I realized how hungry for power I was, I didn't want to go. Bae," he choked slightly on the name. "He was so angry with me, so repulsed. Then the ground gave way and, I tried to pull him back, I tried, gods I tried. He slipped through my fingers into the portal." Rumplestiltskin could not hide the pain that the memory had caused him. Belle looked on at the broken man.

"And you want to go and find him?" Belle asked. Rumplestiltskin looked at her with eyes more forlorn than she had ever seen them.

"Even with magic, I don't have the slightest idea where to start. He was sent here almost ten years before we came, and we've been stuck here for 28 years." Rumplestiltskin confessed.

"He's been here for 38 years?" Belle gasped. "How old would that make him now?"

"Roughly around 53 years old." Rumplestiltskin sighed. Belle had never seen him so downtrodden, but she smiled and took his hand into her own. With her other hand, she lifted his downturned face to look at her.

"We will find him, mark my words Rumplestiltskin. Every miracle just takes a little time, but I swear to you, we will find him." Belle gave him a hopeful smile, which he returned.

"There's my brave Belle," he mused as he grazed her lovely face with his fingers and bestowed a chaste kiss on her lips. With a deep breath, he turned the key in the ignition and started the car. He offered his hand to Belle, which she willingly clasped tightly as they began driving down the road and into what would, undoubtedly, become the greatest adventure of their lives.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

**A/N: I hope you have enjoyed this journey with Rumple, Belle, and everyone in between! And maybe when Season 2 starts up and more questions are answered, I shall write again about the couple we ship the most (and if you don't ship them the most, then just get out!) lol I am only joking, ship whoever you like. (But RumBelle will always be the best!) But, anyways, before I start rambling off, I would like to thank everyone for their reviews, threats, music suggestions, etc.! You have been a wonderful audience and I wish you well!**

**.**

**With all my Dearie love,**

**-Moonlight**


End file.
